Connie Becomes a Gem
by FictionFan1024
Summary: Takes place when Steven is 50 and Connie is in her late 40s. Steven will live forever (he still looks 18ish), but his wife Connie is starting to show signs of aging. How can Steven live without his beloved Connie? Pearl and Peridot have an idea...
1. Chapter 1

**I've been away from fanfic for a while. I had some serious health issues, then was out of a job for a while. Found a new job, but was paying much less, so had to supplement it with part time work; didn't leave much time for writing - in fact, I feared I'd lost my ability to write. Every time I sat down to try, nothing came out. I'd despaired of ever returning to Fan Fiction.**

 **Anyway, during that time fell in love with "Steven Universe" and its Wiki. I got the inspiration to write this story from another FanFiction author (via the Wiki), "bloomscool". In it, Steven and the Gems decide to infuse Connie with a gem. See what you think...**

* * *

"How long will it take, Peridot?"

"Oh, couple thousand years, give or take," the lime-green Crystal Gem snickered.

"COUPLE THOUSAND YEARS?!" yelled Steven. He looked longingly at the location in the Kindergarten wall where Peridot had sealed Connie.

"Peridot!" Pearl angrily chided her. She knew from the research the two had done, that gem-infusing a human only took a few months.

"OK, OK!" Peridot threw up her hands in surrender, "I was kidding, geez. Connie should be ready to come out in…" she scanned the monitor that was connected to Connie's specialized injector. "...90 days, 6 hours, and...3 minutes."

"Still a long wait," Steven sighed. He was now chronologically 50 years old, although he looked to be barely an adult. His Gem stopped his aging at 18 - notwithstanding his ability to shapeshift. He did that from time to time, so as to make public appearances more normal when he went out with his wife Connie. She was in her late 40s now, and did not want to make it look like she was going out with her "son".

The three Crystal Gems walked away from Connie's spot in the newly-developed Gamma Kindergarten. Pearl and Peridot built it in Southeast Asia, where there was a large supply of gems. After the war against the Gem Homeworld was won, the Beta Kindergarten was disassembled, since it was of lesser quality.

Stepping onto the Warp Pad, Peridot, Pearl and Steven were whisked away back to the Crystal Temple. They were greeted by Jasper.

"How's Connie doing?" She asked.

"I said goodbye and kissed her before Peridot hooked her up and sealed her in," replied Steven. "She was anxious but excited at the same time. We're looking forward to being together forever, as a result of this!" He put his hands on Peridot's and Pearl's shoulders. "Thank you both, for making this happen."

Pearl placed her hand on Steven's. A tear came to her eye. "Oh, Steven, it's my - it's our pleasure!"

Peridot smiled. "Who thought we could modify Gem creation like this! Do you realize what this means? Taking an organic biological form and infusing it with Gem morphology? It's never been done before!"

"Uh, Peridot," came a voice from behind. "It has been done before."

"What? Who?" Peridot turned to see Garnet smiling. The tall Crystal Gem pointed to Steven.

"Oh…" A green blush crossed her cheeks and she rubbed the back of her head. "Well...of course," she stuttered, "I meant, no one's ever done it in Kindergarten before."

Jasper laughed heartily. She and Steven had grown close over the years, after he had healed her corruption and helped her overcome her personal animosity toward the Crystal Gems - and Steven especially.

They had even fused during the great war - "JasperUniverse" Amethyst called them, and together they were a force to be reckoned with. Their SpinDash used Steven's Shield (formerly called Rose's Shield) as a force-multiplier. Hovering in front, it turned Jasper's ball into an unbreakable juggernaut, smashing through Yellow Diamond's line of defenses. Jasper's military expertise, paired with Steven's immunity to the Gem Destabilizer meant that JasperUniverse was an unstoppable force in battles against the Homeworld defenses. They led their squad straight into Yellow Diamond's palace, forcing her to surrender.

"So how does this work anyway?" asked Jasper.

"I'm glad you asked," responded Pearl. "We…"

"It's quite simple, really," interrupted Peridot excitedly. "Being a Kindergarten technician for over 5,000 years, it was a simple matter of extrapolating the methods that Rose used to create Steven - well, not exactly of course - I mean, we didn't have to make Connie get born again!" she laughed. Pearl rolled her eyes. "Yes, well," the tall, slender Crystal Gem continued, "I was with Rose when she decided to...um...have Steven. So I did research in areas of organic biology, animal husbandry, and...and with that knowledge, helped Peridot with...those details."

"Yes, and my exhaustive studies of the earth species over the last 40 years have shown me how to meld both morphologies into one," said Peridot. "Funny...it's quite similar to the way that Steven fuses with pure Gems, except I've combined that process into the Kindergarten injector."

"We've combined it," corrected Pearl.

"And you're sure Connie's not experiencing any pain?" asked Steven.

"Oh, no!" said Pearl. "Steven, you know how I feel about Connie; I would never let her undergo such a procedure like that if it wasn't safe and pain-free. I put her into a deep sleep before we began the procedure; she's completely unconscious. When she wakes up, it will feel like she's had a long sleep."

"Except she'll be like me; half-human, half-gem."

"With all of your natural gem abilities: shape-shifting, enhanced strength, speed, durability,"

"And resistance to Anti-Gem Weaponry?" asked Jasper. "We could sure use Connie in our battles against Blue Diamond's Gem army!" Blue Diamond had escaped the war and fled Homeworld with her loyal followers. They've been battling the Crystal Gems in skirmishes ever since.

"Oh, absolutely!" said Pearl.

"What about her unique Gem powers?"

"That's the best part, isn't it Peridot?" said Garnet.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Asked Jasper inquisitively.

"I gave Connie a totally new Gem," boasted Peridot. "So in a way, I have no idea what her Gem powers will be!"

"Hmm. A bit of a gamble, don't you two think?" thought Jasper out loud.

"Perhaps. But well-thought-out gambles can offer good surprises," smiled Garnet.

"So what is this new Gem?"

"Steven, show Jasper the type of Gem you two chose for Connie," said Garnet. Steven reached into his pocket and took out a round, beautifully faceted, deep blue Gem.

"Nice!" Said Jasper. "Not a sapphire?"

"Blue Topaz," responded Steven. "It's a gemstone that's naturally found in Sri Lanka. She and I thought it appropriate, since her family's from that island."

"There weren't any Topaz crystals found in the Prime or Beta Kindergartens?" Jasper wondered.

"None at all, said Peridot. "Topaz is commonly associated with silicic igneous rocks of the granite and rhyolite type. It typically crystallizes in granitic pegmatites or in vapor cavities in rhyolite lava flows, including…"

"Too scientificy," laughed Steven. "Less big words."

Peridot gave him "the look."

"No, not in either of those," she responded dryly. I did manage to locate some topaz minerals in the vicinity of Beta Kindergarten in Facet Nine, but we're talking hundreds of miles away. So back when we were operating the Kindergartens, we weren't making any Topaz Gems. Connie will be the very first."

* * *

"Steven, you ready?"

"All set," he told Garnet. It was time to return to The Cluster. They stepped onto the Warp Pad and traveled to the site where he and Peridot had drilled a permanent hole, in Death Valley. Steven had been working with Garnet over the years, trying to find and reassemble Gem shards, in hopes of regenerating their Gem friends. They stepped into the super-engineered Gem Drill (redesigned and built years ago by Pearl) and began their descent.

Finding and reassembling Gem shards is a painstaking process, but with Steven's Empathic Telepathy powers, he's able to "speak" to The Cluster, and with Garnet's "future vision" and patient demeanor, they've actually managed over the years to rejoin dozens of Gems, thus adding to the Crystal Gem population. Steven and Garnet would find what they believed to be a potential shard, bubble it, and teleport the shard to Peridot in the new Kindergarten, who would work on piecing the shards into a complete Gem.

They arrived at The Cluster, and Steven's Gem glowed; he closed his eyes. He soon found himself floating in darkness, hearing the many seeming incoherent voices of the Gem shards speaking all at once.

The Cluster: _"Hi! Oh, hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Oh, hi!"_

Steven: _"Hi again! It's me, Steven."_

The Cluster: _"Steven! Steven! Steven!"_

Steven: _"I'm looking for any shards that might have been part of Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG. Can you help me?"_

The Cluster: _"Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG! Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG! Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG!..."_

This goes on for some time. The voices echo out into the distance. Steven waits patiently. Garnet as well, sitting next to him in the Gem Drill.

Suddenly…in the distance...

The Cluster: " _Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG! Me! Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG! Me! Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG! Me!"_

Steven: _"Where are you?"_

The Shard: _"Here! Here! Here!"_

"Garnet!" Steven said waking up. "A shard spoke to me! It's over in this direction!" Garnet navigated the drill to the precise location. Once they arrived, Steven stepped outside and, finding the specific shard, bubbled and teleported it.

"Good job, Steven," Garnet tells him.

"I don't want to leave yet," he responded. "I have a feeling we can get more shards for this Gem."

"Very well, but don't overdo. I know this takes a lot out of you. Do you want to return to the drill?"

"No, I'll stay here by The Cluster. I think the shards aren't far." Levitating his body over The Cluster, he closed his eyes and his Gem glowed. He heard the voice again.

The Shard: _"Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG! Me! Here! Here! Here!"_

Steven: _"Where are you?"_

The Shard: _"Here! Here! Here!"_

He opened his eyes and saw it; right near him! Steven attempted to communicate with it directly.

Steven: _"Any others? Are there others?"_

" _Many"_

" _Where"_

" _Not far"_

" _Can you show me?"_

" _Yes"_

"Garnet! Follow me!" And holding the Shard, he levitated in the direction it was "leading" him, with Garnet following behind.

They arrived at the spot, and Steven could sense the anxiety of the shard he was holding - and the nearby shards.

Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG Gem shards: _"Form!"_

Steven: _"I hear you! Let me help you!"_

Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG Gem shards: _"Have to... Want to... Need to... Must!"_

Steven: _"Wait! Please, not here!"_

Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG Gem shards: _"Steven"_

Steven: _"Yes, I'm Steven. Let me take you where you can form."_

Facet-1A1L Cut-1HG Gem shards: _"Steven"_ And the shards began to calm down.

"Steven!" Garnet called out, concerned.

"It's OK! I'm going to bubble these shards and teleport them to Peridot." And he proceeded to send them off. As he was doing that, he could sense relief in the shards, as if they were saying:

" _Steven"_

" _Thank"_

" _You"_

* * *

"Steven! Yo, Steven!" Amethyst called out in the Beach House. "Where you at, dude?"

"He isn't here, Amethyst," Pearl called back.

"I figured he'd be sleeping in, after all that work he and Garnet did in The Cluster yesterday. What's he doing? Hanging out down at the beach?"

"No, silly! Don't you know what day it is?"

"Duh! Saturday."

"No, I mean, the date."

Amethyst racked her brain, trying to think of what's special about this day. Mayor Dewey Jr's birthday? No. Labor Day? No, that's on a Monday, and it's not September. Steven's birthday? No. Then it hit her. "Oh…"

"Yes. It's Greg's birthday. Steven's at the cemetery."

* * *

"Hi, Dad, happy birthday." Steven knelt in front of his father's gravestone. "I wrote a new song. Wanna hear it?" He took out his Ukulele and played his new tune. When he was finished, he sighed. "Hope you liked it. Connie helped a bit; you know how talented she is. By the way, guess what? She's gonna become a Crystal Gem just like me! That's right! Pearl and Peridot have a process where they infuse her with a Gem. When they're done, she'll be half-Gem, half-human like I am. We'll get to be together forever!"

Steven stopped suddenly. His voice broke. "I kinda wish they'd figured out how to do that before...before you...you died." He sniffed.

"I miss you, Dad." He put his Ukulele and sat there for a good while silently.

He got up to leave and put his hand on the gravestone. Smiling a bit, he said "Well, say hi to Mom for me."

* * *

"Cool! Another Quartz?"

"Yep. Those shards that Steven brought back were the last few pieces I needed to rebuild this Gem," said Peridot. She and Amethyst were in the Gamma Kindergarten, where the regenerating Quartz Gem was "cooking" (Amethyst's word). Peridot examined the control panel connected to the injector. "Let's contact Garnet, Pearl and Steven; they'll want to see this."

"Oh, hey! Jasper's gonna want to see, too!" Said Amethyst.

"Sure, sure, bring them all," Peridot waved her hand. But don't take too long, this one'll be ready to come out in a day." Amethyst rushed back to the Crystal Temple.

* * *

"OK, she should be ready," said Peridot excitedly. The Gems all stood near the rock wall where the reconstituted Quartz Gem had been placed. Suddenly cracks in the wall began to appear, followed by a rumbling sound, with bright light shining through the cracks.

"This is it!" shouted Garnet.

A loud crash, and a fist punched out of the rockside! Then a hole broke through and a Quartz Gem stepped out. She was large and muscular, nearly as big as Jasper. She had a bright yellow gem on her left shoulder. Standing at the rockside hole, she stared at the assembled crowd quizzically.

One member of the group recognized her immediately. "Citrine!" Yelled Pearl, and rushed to embrace the new Gem.

"Pearl!" Citrine responded, and joyfully picked Pearl up. "So good to see a familiar face!" Citrine looked around. "Where the heck am I? Where's Rose?"

* * *

 **Well, that's the first chapter anyway. I needed some kind of a "kick" to get me back into fanfic writing. Let me know what you think. Any thoughts, corrections, please let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, had some unplanned time off this week (from my three jobs) due to stores I'm at that's hiring "seasonal" workers (sigh). But, it gave me some hours to work on this next chapter.**

 **Thanks again to bloomscool, and another fanfic writer, KimDWil71, for sharing their ideas and feedback! And there's a talented young lady on the Steven Universe Wiki that I'll mention at the end of this chapter.  
**

* * *

Citrine had a lot of catching up to do - nearly 5,000 years' worth. Her Gem had been broken early in the war, battling the Homeworld Gems at the Ancient Sky Arena beside Rose and Pearl. She got separated from the two and her Gem was broken in battle. That was the last the Crystal Gems had seen of her.

The battle that day was fierce, and Rose called for a retreat so they could regroup.

"Where's Citrine?" Rose called out after they gathered.

"I don't...I don't know!" yelled Pearl looking around. "She was at my right, but then went running off to fight another group of Homeworld Quartz soldiers!"

"What, on her own?"

Pearl sighed. "It looks that way."

"Well go and find her! No Gem left behind!"

"Yes, Rose!" And Pearl returned to the arena with a cadre of Crystal Gem Ruby soldiers, desperately searching for Citrine, or her Gem, in hopes of bringing her back, but the Homeworld Gems had swept up all the shards. Pearl returned dejected. "We couldn't find her! They swept the arena - she must have been shattered!"

"Swept up the shards? What do you mean?" Rose demanded.

"The floor of the arena was swept clean! There were no Gem shards left!"

Rose wracked her brain, trying to think of a reason why Homeworld would do such a thing. What would they want with Gem shards? She feared it couldn't be good.

Rose solemnly planted her Battle Flag on the ground. "Tonight we mourn our lost comrades," she announced.

* * *

Citrine was fine with all of the Gem/earth history since the time her Gem was fractured, but what became of Rose was unsettling to the extreme!

"So Steven...has Rose's Gem?" Citrine was confused. She looked at the young man.

"Yes," said Pearl. "Rose had...uh, she...fell in love with...a human named Greg. He was so very special to her...and they decided to bring a child into this world. Steven is that child, and Rose gave him her Gem."

Citrine ran her fingers through her yellow-white hair. "But, why would she do this? It doesn't make sense!"

Jasper spoke up. "Citrine, trust me, I, of all people, originally a Homeworld Gem, couldn't accept the fact that Rose had allowed her Gem to be assumed into a human child. But after being healed of my corruption by him, and coming to learn who Steven is, and the gifts he has, both those given to him by Rose and the incredible ones he has on his own, I see now that this must somehow have all been part of her plan."

"What plan is that?"

"To save both worlds: this one, that Rose fought to defend, and our Homeworld."

Garnet came forward. "Citrine, I'm Garnet. Welcome back." She motioned for Steven to come forward. "And here is Steven, who has been a mighty warrior for our cause. Steven was the one who found all of your Gem shards, so that we could reassemble you."

He came up and raised his hand. "Very pleased to meet you Citrine."

"Likewise, Steven," she responded, shaking his hand. She smiled wistfully. "So, you're Rose's son?"

"Yes, I am." He raised his shirt to show Citrine his Gem. Steven had grown slimmer over the years (thanks to Connie's exercise routine - and his battle experiences), so he no longer evidenced a flabby belly. While not sporting "six-pack abs", he nevertheless had a reasonably healthy physique.

"Well I'll be," she chuckled. "Looks like I've got a lot more to catch up on," she sighed.

"We're all glad to help you out," smiled Garnet.

"C'mon, Citrine," said Jasper, "let's go swap some war stories," she chuckled. "From both sides, that is."

* * *

At long last, it was time for Connie to emerge from "cooking", as Amethyst likes to call it. Everyone gathered around the site in the rock wall, as Peridot oversaw the control panel.

"OK, everyone, unlike a Gem, Connie's not going to be conscious once the procedure is done, so we'll need to open the rock face up for her," the green Gem announced. "Who'd like to do the honors?"

"I'll do it," said Garnet, and summoned her gauntlets.

"Not too hard!" Peridot warned.

"Relax, I've got this," Garnet smiled, and gave the wall a firm but gentle punch. The surface cracked and fell apart, leaving an opening to the cave-like chamber where Connie was sealed.

"Steven, you and I will go in and wake her," said Pearl. They stepped in, with Steven carrying a duffel bag holding Connie's clothes. "I wonder where her Gem will be?" he thought.

The chamber had Crystal Veins running along the walls on either side, leading to the back. They were attached on the outside to Peridot's special Injector.

Connie was about fifteen feet inside the chamber, sealed vertically against the wall, with a breathing mask covering her face. Her arms were spread out on either side, and she was completely covered in a hard, gray, rock-like substance. The Crystal Veins grew smaller and smaller as they got to Connie's body, until they dove into the rock.

"Steven, wake her up," said Pearl.

Steven removed the mask first. Her face was beautiful and young - the Gem infusion had returned her youth! She looked like she did when she was 18!

He called to her gently. "Connie? Connie? It's Steven. Can you hear me?"

Connie opened her eyes. She squinted for a bit, trying to focus, then looked at him. "Steven? Oh! Steven!" She began to move her arms away from the wall to hug him. Now, this was a dense, rock-solid substance, but Connie's arms began to break away from the rock side with ease! Pieces of rock flew out away from the wall.

"Hold on, Connie!" Yelled Pearl, "I need to remove the Crystal Veins!"

"Oh, sorry ma'am!" She replied, and stopped pulling away. Pearl began extricating her from all the catheters.

"Whoa! Connie! You broke that rock like it was nothing!" Exclaimed Steven.

"How do you feel?" Pearl asked her.

"I feel great! Like I could run a couple of marathons!"

Pearl smiled. "Here are some towels, go ahead and wipe that left-over rock from your skin. In the meantime, let's see where your Gem is!"

Connie rubbed the towels all over, looking around her body. "I can't wait to see where it is!" She searched, but did not find it. "Look on my back; is it there, like Lapis?"

Steven and Pearl turned and looked. "No, we don't see it."

"Well, where is it? I don't understand. Did this not work?" She asked, concerned.

"Well, it did in one sense," Steven replied. "You would never have been able to break out of that sealed rock with human strength. And there's one other thing," he smiled. "Take a look at yourself." And he handed her a mirror. She looked and gasped! "I look like I did when I was a teenager!"

"So, the infusion worked!" Pearl said. "Steven, give her the duffel bag so she can get dressed. Then we'll go outside. "Peridot might know what's going on."

After she got dressed, the three emerged from the chamber, to great applause! Connie smiled, a little embarrassed and shy.

"Welcome to the Crystal Gems!" said Garnet.

"So, where's your Gem?" asked Peridot. "I'm anxious to see it!"

"Well, that's the strange part," Connie replied. "Steven, Pearl and I both looked everywhere on my body, but I don't see it."

"What? That's very odd," she replied. "Are you sure you looked everywhere?"

"Yes, of course," said Pearl.

"Well it's GOT to be somewhere!" huffed Peridot, and took out a sensor. She held it in front of Connie. It beeped. "It's there! It's...wait...hold on…" She tapped the sensor. "What is this?"

"What is it Peridot?" Asked Steven anxiously.

"According to my readings, Connie does have her Gem, but it's…" She hovered the scanner up and down, all around Connie, "...inside her! What's more, it's...everywhere inside her! It's like...her whole body's infused with the Gem!"

"What…?" Pearl looked at Connie. "How can that be?"

"I don't know," Peridot replied, "but, she is a Gem, that's for sure. And half-human also, like Steven."

"That is very interesting," said Garnet. "I'm sure we'll unravel this mystery very soon - trust me! In the meantime, why don't you two get some rest?"

* * *

Steven and Connie went back to their Beach House for rest & relaxation. They chatted about the experience.

"I don't know, Steven, I was so looking forward to having a Gem I could see, like you! Or if I couldn't directly see it, just know it was there, like Lapis has."

"What if this was not completely successful? What if Peridot's wrong? What if I'm not really a Gem?"

Steven was tempted to say "It's OK," but knew from experience that would be the wrong approach with Connie. Instead, he said, "Let's spar."

"What?"

"Let's see what you can do! C'mon, you said you could run a couple marathons! Let's go to the Ancient Sky Arena."

"Or are you scared I might beat you?" He grinned devilishly.

"You're on!" She replied, and getting changed into training gear, they ran to the Warp Pad. Arriving at the arena, they faced off.

Steven summoned his Shield.

"No fair!" Connie yelled, "I don't know what my Gem abilities are yet!"

"Hey, I'll just use it for defense," he responded. "You can use Mom's sword." In fact, she'd tossed it over her shoulder - force of habit. "No, that's not the same. No sword for me either. Shield away."

"Fine," Steven yielded, and returned it. But as he was doing that, Connie came at him with lightning speed. She used a Sinhalese Traditional Martial Art technique on him called Angampora. Jumping up with arms and legs out, she landed in front of him and grabbed his right arm. Wrapping her right arm around his, she pulled him down forcefully to the floor, then stomped on his chest with her bare foot.

"Ooof!" He groaned.

"You forgot one thing, Steven," she smiled. "I'm a master at Sri Lankan Martial Arts. Watch yourself, my dear," then gave him a kiss.

"Oh yeah?" Steven smirked, and levitated, pulling Connie up. "Let's try out your technique in the air!" They went up about 30 feet. "Give it a try," he said, "do your Kalaripayattu up here," and started to let go.

"No! Steven! I don't know how!"

"Try levitating like we do as Stevonnie," he encouraged her. "Don't worry, I'll catch you."

Connie breathed heavily. "Oh...OK. OK," and let go. She started falling. "Aaaah!" Steven swooped down under her and caught her. They both landed slowly back down. Connie began to cry.

"I'm a failure," she sniffed. "I don't know how to do the things you do."

Steven hugged her. "It takes time," he replied. "Look at me! I first thought I had to eat Cookie Cat ice cream bars."

That made Connie laugh! She wiped away her tears. "Too bad there are none left, eh?" She joked. "Maybe I need one."

She sighed. "If I was a Gem, I mean, a real Gem, I'd know right off the bat what my powers are, wouldn't I?"

"I guess," said Steven. "I mean, they come right out of Kindergarten knowing who they are and what they can do. Humans are like blank slates; we have to learn everything."

A frown suddenly crossed Connie's face. She stepped back.

"What's wrong?" Steven asked.

"I don't know. I feel a little strange, that's all."

"Are you OK?"

"Yes, just, an odd feeling. Not a bad feeling, kind of, good. I…Oh...Oh!" She started to glow!

Steven's eyes got wide! "Connie…?"

Suddenly, Connie emitted a bright white flash! Similar to the one that occurs when fused Gems de-fuse. The flash ended, and there standing before Steven was a whole new Connie! Her skin was light blue, and on her forehead was a dark blue Topaz Gem. Her hair was long like before, but striped powder blue and brown. She sported a blue dress with a dark blue belt and matching calf-length boots. Her eyes were dark blue behind a clear visor, similar in shape to Peridot's.

Steven's jaw dropped! He rubbed his eyes. "Connie! You're a Gem!"

"What?"

"Look at yourself!"

Connie looked at her blue hands. "I'm a Gem?"

"A full Gem!"

"Gem? Where is it?" She looked all around her body.

"On the top of your forehead, like Pearl's." Connie felt her head. "Is that it?"

"Yep."

"I'm a Gem!" she laughed! "I'm a Crystal Gem!"

We've got to get back to the Crystal Temple!"

* * *

"This is amazing!" Peridot scanned Connie/Gem. "She's a Gem alright."

"A full Gem?" Asked Pearl.

"Hmm." Peridot adjusted the monitor for a closer examination. "Doesn't look like it. I still detect human in there somewhere. I've got to study this further."

"Connie, tell us how this happened," said Garnet.

"Well, Steven and I were sparring up in the Ancient Sky Arena. We were trying to see if I could do some of the same things that Steven does. I cried because nothing was working. Suddenly, I began to feel strange. Then this happened."

"Were you thinking anything just before that?"

Connie/Gem tried to remember. "I was thinking how, if I was a full Gem I would know how to summon a weapon like Steven, instead of just using my human fighting techniques."

"Hmm. Try thinking about being human again." And she did. There was another white flash, and Connie/human returned.

"Now, think about being a Gem again," said Garnet. She did, there was a flash, and Connie/Gem was back.

"Whoa! So Connie can flash back and forth from human to Gem?" Asked Steven.

"Looks that way," replied Garnet. "I would assume that all of Connie's Gem weaponry is summoned when she's a Gem."

"But what are my Gem weapons?" Asked Connie.

"I'll leave that answer to Peridot and Pearl. With you as a Gem now, they ought to be able to find out."

They looked to the two, who were studying the readouts.

"This'll take some time," said Peridot. "You've got weaponry, but what, exactly, I can't tell. They're not like any weapons I've ever seen - well, maybe, but...weird." She looked up to Pearl.

"Yes, they're in a strange format," said Pearl. "Our weapons came from the Gem Homeworld, but...I assume yours are from here. Maybe...maybe from...this part of the world?"

"Who knows," said Steven. "We chose this Gem from Sri Lanka. Maybe Connie's got weapons from her heritage?"

"Pffft! You people and your unscientific ways!" Scoffed Peridot. "Let me figure this out."

Pearl rolled her eyes. "Steven, you and Connie go home and relax. We'll let you know. Connie, congratulations! You do have Gem weaponry - it'll get worked out."

"I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised," smiled Garnet.

Steven put his arm around Connie/Gem's. "Well, Connie - or should I say, 'Topaz'? How about dinner?"

Connie gave out a flash, and came back as Connie/human. "Sounds good! I'm starving!"

"Peedee's?"

"You read my mind!"

And they headed to town.

* * *

Peedee Fryman ran the best restaurant in Beach City. Everything was organic and healthy. Reservations were normally required, but not for friends.

"Steven! Connie! You two look great!" Peedee welcomed them. He approached the two, and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Connie? Is that really you?"

Connie chuckled. "It's me, Peedee. I'm a Crystal Gem now."

"Uh huh," he smiled sardonically. "So this is how you all get to stay young. Don't tell Kiki! She'll wanna become a Gem too!"

"Here, let me get you a good table." And seated them.

"The Mahi-Mahi's very good today! I prepared it with a cayenne-citrus sauce and fennel mascarpone, served with oven-seared succotash of sweet corn, green and yellow zucchini, assorted wild mushrooms and candied red onions."

"That sounds delicious, Peedee! I'll have that," said Connie.

"And Steven, I assume you'll have your usual rack of lamb?"

"Yes, please."

"Tonight it's served with a medley of roasted quinoa, wild mushroom and peanut golden potato."

"Sounds great!"

He picked up the wine list. "And since you two are looking so young, I recommend soft drinks."

They gave Peedee their drink orders, and he returned to the kitchen. Steven pointed a finger at Connie. "No wine for you, young lady!" They both broke out in laughter!

* * *

"Peedee, that was a wonderful dinner," said Steven.

"Thanks," he smiled.

"How's the family?" Asked Connie.

"Doing well. The twins started college, so Kiki and I have the house to ourselves again."

"Kiki's a good accountant - she keeps the restaurant going, eh?" smiled Steven.

"That she does, that she does."

"You hear from Ronaldo lately?"

"Oh, from time to time. He's busy with that late-night radio show of his: 'Shore to Shore'. Still broadcasting from the desert out west." Peedee made quotation marks with his fingers. "Paranormal and conspiracy theories." He rolled his eyes.

"I listen to him," said Connie. "He's got the most interesting shows and guests."

Steven's phone rang. It was Pearl.

"Oh, you did?" He looked at Connie and nodded. "OK, great! We're on our way," and hung up.

"Well, Peedee, we had a great time, but we've got to go."

"Gem stuff, eh? Well, you guys have fun! See you next time!"

The couple paid their tab and left "PeeDee's". "What did Pearl say?" Connie asked excitedly.

"They've figured out your Gem weaponry. Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst and Peridot want to meet us up at the Ancient Sky Arena."

* * *

Connie and Steven teleported back to meet the Crystal Gems.

"OK Connie, we were able to figure out your Gem weaponry," said Pearl. She handed the new Crystal Gem a piece of paper. "Except, I can't quite make out these names. Do you recognize these weapons?"

"Why yes, yes I do. These are Kalaripayattu."

"I assumed as much," replied Pearl. They look very interesting. Change to your Gem mode and let's try to bring them forth." A white flash, and Connie/Gem stepped forward while Steven sat and watched.

"Alright. First, this weapon looks just like Steven's shield. Which one on that list is it?"

"Paricha," Connie replied.

"Steven, come forward," Pearl motioned, and he came up. "Now, show Connie how you bring out your shield. Describe what you do to summon it."

"I place my arm across my chest, and think of bringing it forward. Then it materializes in front of my forearm, like this," and as he positioned his arm, it appeared.

"Now Connie, you try the same," said Pearl, and she did, but nothing happened.

"It didn't work."

"Connie," said Garnet, "try summoning it by using a Kalaripayattu move."

"Which one?"

"Try several. You should find the exact one that works."

And Connie/Gem proceeded to go through the various movements. She was graceful in each one: Asva Vadivu, Sarpa Vadivu, Simha Vadivu, etc. All marveled at the beauty of her moves, especially Pearl.

Finally, with the Marjara Vadivu, (cat move in English), Connie/Gem succeeded! She summoned her Paricha, which appeared on her right arm. It was dark blue, the same color as her Gem, with a lighter blue border, and a shimmering blue edge. It had four round raised sections symmetrically arranged in the border area, and a larger raised section in the center. The center section was decorated with a stylized blue water lily.

"A beautiful shield!" Exclaimed Pearl. "But, what does the flower mean?"

"Flower?" Connie turned the Paricha around. "Oh! That's a water lily; it's the national flower of Sri Lanka."

"Are all her weapons going to be symbolic of that place?" Peridot rolled her eyes.

"And why not?" chided Garnet.

"Try to summon it back," said Pearl. "Think of it going away." And Connie/Gem did just that. It disappeared. "Nice!" She exclaimed.

"Now, this next weapon is some kind of a blade," continued Pearl. "It...Has a horizontal handle."

"Katar," said Connie/Gem.

"Ah, yes. Can you summon it?"

Connie/Gem thought for a moment. "Hmm. Let me try Kukkuta Vadivu. And she went through that movement. A tri-bladed weapon appeared above each fist, pointed out. The blades were light blue, with dark blue handles. The handles had the same water lily symbol in a round disc on top.

"Whoa! Cool!" Yelled Amethyst. "Bet ya can shoot those out!"

"No no no! Not here, not yet!" Called out Pearl. "Now, put those away, please." And Connie sent them back.

"Now, for the last weapon, it's a sword."

"Val," Connie/Gem replied, then hesitated. A strange smile crossed her face.

"What is it, Connie?"

"I...I don't know how to explain this. It's weird, but...suddenly, I feel like, I remember how to summon it! But, how can that be?"

"I knew it! Ha ha! I knew it!" Laughed Peridot. She sang and danced around Pearl.

"What? You knew what?" Sputtered Pearl.

"Her Gem's kicking in! Her Gem's kicking in! Hey Connie! I bet you 'remember' how to summon those other weapons now, without having to do those little dances!"

Connie/Gem chuckled a little, and said "Huh! You're right!" And with just a thought, summoned her Paricha. "And, my Paricha is not complete without…" and reaching up to her Gem and, just like Pearl, she pulled out a sword. "...my Val Sword," she told the group. Her Val matched her Paricha, with a blue blade and a glowing crystal blue cross-guard.

"Oh my," sighed Pearl. "Lots, lots more training to do!"

Steven had returned to where he was sitting, watching all this unfold. He was feeling a little uneasy. Was his wife now more powerful than he was?

* * *

 **As I mentioned, there's a talented young graphic artist in the Steven Universe Wiki, Uniturtlegirl88, who contributed a jpg drawing, Gem_Connie. It was my inspiration for Connie/Gem (although mine is slightly different). I wanted to give her credit for the inspiration.**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Crystal Gems get into some heavy-duty training, in preparation for Blue Diamond.**

* * *

Jasper brought Citrine, Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Steven and Connie to the Gem Battlefield in Norway. She and Pearl had been building a Holo-simulation to train them, in preparation for fighting Blue Diamond's forces.

"Alright everyone! We've got to prepare for the next attack! We've programmed the Holo-Enemies into copies of their forces. They'll adapt to your defensive and offensive strategies, so watch out!"

"Ready!" Said Steven to Jasper.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Said Connie.

"Connie, you're a Crystal Gem now!" Called Amethyst. "Forget the 'Ma'am' stuff! That's Jasper now!"

Jasper chuckled. "Well, of course, Connie! Call me Jasper."

"Jasper! Jasper!" Chanted Garnet, smiling.

Connie laughed! "Yes...Jasper!"

This exercise was specially designed by Jasper, and like all of her recent ones, was for the six: Citrine, Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Steven and Connie. A flash, and the Gem Battlefield exploded with enemy forces of many different kinds! It was up to the Crystal Gems to coordinate their attack. Garnet summoned her gauntlets. Amethyst her twin whips. Pearl, her sword, and Citrine summoned her own golden-spiked gauntlets. Connie was in human mode, like Steven; they stood together, he with his shield and Connie with Rose's sword.

Within seconds the Holo-Enemies attacked! Dozens of Holo-Rubies came up first like pawns in a chess game, their short daggers at the ready. "Gems! Defense!" Yelled Garnet. Amethyst, Steven and Connie ran ahead, attacking: Amethyst snapped her spiked flails at Ruby after Ruby, poofing them away. Jumping and spinning Kalaripayattu-style, Connie wielded her sword, slashing the Rubies, all the while avoiding their chisel knives, while Steven mowed others down with his shield.

Right behind the Rubies came the Holo-Quartz soldiers. Pearl, Citrine and Garnet ran into them melee-style, ducking and dodging their attacks while inflicting slashing and smashing techniques.

But then, the Holo-computer threw a curveball. "Look up!" Yelled Citrine. Scores of Holo-birds, like the ones that attacked in the Sky Spire, came flying at them.

"Pearl! Amethyst! Form Opal and use your bow and arrow!" Yelled Garnet. "Steven and Connie! Form Stevonnie - now! Citrine…!"

"Wait!" Yelled Connie, "Let me try something," and flashed into Connie/Gem. She jumped and did a shoulder-roll, landing on her knees. Bringing out her Katar daggers, she raised her fists up to the sky. The daggers shot up toward the incoming birds, and, like Opal's arrow, the two daggers separated into dozens of smaller ones, each honing in on a Holo-bird. As soon as a dagger hit, it sliced through a Holo-bird, poofing it. Every bird was gone.

Grinning, Connie/Gem got up and "blew" on one knuckle then the other, like a cowboy after firing his pistols.

"Woo hoo! To-PAZ-a-REE-ah, blowin' up the birdies!" cheered Amethyst.

"Clever move, Connie!" Said Jasper, as the simulation ended. "Or should we call you 'Topaz' when you are in Gem mode?"

"I kind of like Topaz," she smiled.

Steven put his arm around her. "Topaz it is then!" He smiled.

"Thanks!" She replied, then glanced in his eyes. She saw something there. After almost 30 years of marriage, a spouse can detect things. "Something's bothering Steven. We'll talk later," she thought to herself.

"A good exercise, everyone," said Jasper. "Blue Diamond's forces haven't attacked in a while, so we should be ready; they don't wait long between skirmishes." She looked to Garnet, who nodded.

* * *

Back at their Beach House, Steven and Connie were relaxing on the deck, stretched out on lounge chairs. It was a beautiful summer day. Before their wedding, Steven, Greg, Connie and the Crystal Gems enlarged the house to accommodate a more private bedroom for the newlyweds, and, should it happen, an extra room for possible additions to the family. Sadly, it was discovered that Steven and Connie couldn't have children, so the extra rooms became guest rooms for visitors. Many came by over the years: Lars, Sadie and their kids, Connie's extended family, including relatives from Sri Lanka; even Mr. Frowney when he came to town to do comedy skits with Mr. Smiley! The Universe Beach House was a beehive of activity. Today, though, it was nice and quiet.

"This is lovely," Connie said, sipping an ice tea. "Remember how we'd sit on the Temple Statue's hand playing our instruments?"

"Yeah, while doing laundry," he smiled.

She gave him a quick glance. "That was a tough training session today."

He looked out at the ocean. "Yeah, those Rubies were a handful."

"They were, weren't they?" She hesitated for a second. "Why isn't he saying anything about the Holo-birds?" She thought, then chimed in, "Pearl and Garnet were great dealing with those Holo-Quartz soldiers, weren't they?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah!"

"And...and how'd I do?" She looked at him. He returned her glance.

"Oh, Connie, you were terrific! That was amazing what you did with those blades!" He smiled.

"Steven?"

"Huh?"

"Are you OK?"

"Who me? I'm fine! Why do you ask?"

She sat up and turned to him smiling, fists on hips. Reaching out with one hand, she pushed him gently. "Steven Quartz Universe! I can tell when something's been bothering you; now what is it?"

He looked back at her, a little embarrassed. Whenever he was embarrassed, he twiddled his index fingers. "I'm sorry, Connie," he said quietly. "I...I don't know exactly what it is I'm feeling."

"Well, let's talk about it. You seem awfully distracted."

He sighed. "I. When...you...did all those things as a full Gem? I guess...I got worried."

"Worried? Worried about what?" She sat back. "Wait a minute; you're not jealous of me, are you?"

He shook his head. "No! No! That's not it at all!"

"Well, then what is it?"

"I'm...OK. Let me see if I can put it into words." He sat up and was silent for a minute, searching for the words. "I'm worried about...not being...strong enough."

Connie got a little irritated. "Strong enough? You're worried that I'm now stronger than you? You ARE jealous!"

"No! I'm afraid I might...in the past...I knew I could always...oh, boy." Steven looked down at his feet.

"I'm not...I'm not strong enough to..."

"To what?!" She interrupted angrily. "This is some male macho thing, isn't it?" She shook her head, crossed her arms and sat back.

A pained expression crossed his face. He got up and looked into her eyes. "No, that's not it at all! Connie, you're always running into the thick of things. You're the bravest person I know! Up 'til now, I always knew that if you got in over your head I could rescue you. But now, I'm afraid you'll do something and I might not be able to help, and I might lose you!"

He sat back down, covered his face, and talked quietly. "I never knew my Mom, I lost my Dad, I don't want to lose you, Connie; I can't...I'm not s-strong enough," his voice quivered.

Her demeanor changed! She reached over, hugged and kissed him. "If we work together, you won't have to be."

He looked into her eyes, tears in his. "I don't know what will happen…"

She put her finger on his lips. "Hey c'mon. We're Crystal Gems. What could happen?"

* * *

An early morning explosion rocked the Crystal Temple! Steven and Connie were abruptly awakened.

"What was that?" Yelled Connie.

Lion came into their room and roared.

Steven knew exactly what the roar meant. "It's Blue Diamond!" Yelled Steven, "They're attacking!"

They dressed quickly and with Lion, met Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst. "Jasper and Citrine are leading the others in defense!" shouted Garnet, "Hurry".

The Gem Warship had landed south of the Crystal Temple, on the Atlantic Ocean side of the beach, about halfway to Beach City. Scores of Rubies were already on the beach, headed to the town!

"Steven! Connie! Amethyst! Stop the Rubies!" Yelled Garnet. The three jumped on Lion, who warped ahead of Blue Diamond's soldiers and turned around, facing the oncoming forces.

"Alright guys, like our training sessions!" Called out Amethyst, and they ran to head off the Rubies.

As for Jasper and his team, they had their hands full dealing with Blue Diamond's Quartz army. They were outnumbered.

"Garnet! Pearl! We need Sardonyx!" Yelled Jasper. And the two Crystal Gems nodded and twirled. A flash, and a curtain appeared. The tall, four-armed fusion stepped out, as the curtain exploded into dragonflies.

"Gooood morning, everyone!" Sardonyx announced. "Oh! What have we here? An attack by Blue Diamond's forces? Naughty naughty!" She shook her finger. And summoning her War Hammer, she waltzed among the group of Quartz soldiers, jumping and rotating her "doll joints" around and around and up and over, smashing them two or three at a time with her hammer's enormous red-orange fists. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's 'Blue Diamond Gem Whack-a-Mole' time!"

"OHHHHHHH-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!" she let out a hearty Noblewoman's laugh, as Blue Diamond's army got poofed several at a time. "Am I having fun, folks? You know I am!"

* * *

Amethyst, Steven and Connie were likewise battling a massive force. Despite their best efforts, there were a lot more Rubies than they'd drilled in the simulation! Dozens more!

"This isn't working!" Yelled Steven. "Amethyst! We need Smoky's Yo-yo!"

"Now you're talkin'!" responded Amethyst, and grabbing hands, they fused into Smoky Quartz. Taking out three Yo-yo's, they began marching through the phalanx of Rubies, hitting and poofing them. "Good job, Smokey! Well, thank you, Smokey!" Their fusion congratulated each other.

That left another group for Connie to handle. "Connie! How about Topaz?" Yelled Smoke.

"You got it!" She replied, and with a flash, changed into her Gem form. Bringing out her Paricha and Val Sword, Topaz attacked the Rubies surrounding her, smashing them with her shield and slashing with her sword.

Two Rubies however, had separated from the group. Hiding from the battle, they went around and began sneaking into the city. This was Blue Diamond's plan all along: to sacrifice the Ruby army to enable a small group of terrorist to wreak havoc.

* * *

Blue Diamond called a retreat. Any remaining forces escaped back to the Gem Warship, which took off back into the sky.

"Leaving already? But we had such lovely parting gifts for you! Isn't that right, Jorge?" mocked Sardonyx.

"This doesn't feel right," said Jasper. "That was almost too easy. Something's up."

Smoky Quartz and Topaz joined up with the three. "Rubies dispatched," said Topaz.

"Oh my stars!" Exclaimed Sardonyx, "Is this our newest Crystal Gem? Let me look at you!" She bent down. "Well, aren't you the cutest thing! And a blue Gem at that! What do they call you, my dear?"

"Hi there!" Replied Connie/Gem, "I'm Topaz."

"Topaz! Oh what a pleasure it is to meet you! You simply must be a guest on my show where we can get to know each other!"

"Thank you, I would love that!"

"Aren't you the best, Topaz! Well, I must be going. Ta ta for now!" And de-fusing, Garnet and Pearl returned. As did Steven and Amethyst, de-fusing from Smoky Quartz.

"The battle is over for now," said Garnet, "but trouble is afoot."

"Trouble? What nature?" Asked Jasper.

"Sketchy," She replied. "Sapphire was a member of Blue Diamond's court. She may have found a way of keeping details from me."

* * *

Connie was down at the Beach City supermarket, shopping for the week's groceries, when she heard screaming.

"What's going on?" She asked, when Peedee ran in. "We're under attack!"

"What?! By whom?"

"Some red Gem! He's wrecking the boardwalk!"

Connie pushed away her shopping cart and ran to the disturbance. She saw the Ruby, and the townspeople running away. "Stop this instant!" She yelled at her.

"Or what, human?" The Ruby yelled back. She picked up a piece of the boardwalk and threw it at Connie. "Who's going to stop me - you?"

Connie easily caught the piece of boardwalk hurled at her with her Gem strength, and wielded it. "Yes, me!" And charged at her with it, jumping up in the air, holding the boardwalk like a Kalarippayattu stick. The Ruby pulled her dagger out of her Gem and rapidly cut the piece of wood, slicing it into pieces. "Hah! You've got nothing!"

Connie wished she had Rose's sword with her. She had no choice in the matter! "You asked for it!" She yelled, and with a flash, she changed into Topaz.

"What?! What kind of trick is this?" The Ruby yelled. "You're a Crystal Gem?"

"That's right," she said cooly, and brought out her Paricha and Val Sword. "Ready to rumble, Ruby?"

"Ha! You're exactly what we've been looking for, Crystal Gem!" The Ruby laughed.

"We? What do you mean by we?" Said Topaz, confused, but it was too late! The temporary distraction was just enough for the other Ruby to come out of hiding, sneak up and jump on the Crystal Gem from behind with a Gem Destabilizer! She plunged it into her back, sending circuit-like shock waves throughout her Gem body!

Topaz screamed, poofed, and disappeared, with just her Gem plopping onto the ground. The Ruby picked up the blue Gem, and took out a Diamond Communicator. Blue Pearl answered.

"This is the Blue Diamond Control Room. Who authorized you to make this call?"

"This is Ruby Facet-5-D-1-E, Cut-1-Y-B. Reporting back. Mission accomplished."

"Very well, Ruby. A ship will be dispatched to return both of you and the captured Crystal Gem."

* * *

 **Steven's worst nightmare has come true! Connie has been captured by the enemy! What will the Crystal Gems do! We shall see...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Blue Diamond's Peridot has an audience with her.**

* * *

"Peridot, what have you learned about this Crystal Gem?"

The Peridot bowed. "My Diamond, it is unlike any Gem I have seen. The experiments I have performed on it revealed some unusual qualities. Clearly the Crystal Gems are creating their own in a Kindergarten of their making."

"What is this Gem? Have you determined its makeup?"

"It is a deep blue orthorhombic gem, composed of silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F,OH)2. It has a great hardness and perfect basal cleavage. Somewhat rare on this planet, apparently. The Earthlings call it Topaz."

"Interesting. Has it gathered enough energy to heal from the Gem Destabilizer?"

"Not yet, my Diamond. It remains in its Gem."

"Good. Interrogate the prisoner when it regenerates."

* * *

Sour Cream and Onion came banging on Steven and Connie's beach house. "Steven! Steven! Are you in there!" Steven came and opened the door. "What's up guys?"

"It's Connie!" Yelled Sour Cream, "Something's happened to her!"

"What?! Connie? What's going on? What happened?" Steven responded, panicking. He motioned for them to come in.

"It's...well...here, let Onion show you," said Sour Cream, and he let his half-brother step forward. Onion was holding a video recorder. "He was near the boardwalk when the chaos was going on, and witnessed Connie's abduction," said Sour Cream. Onion played back his recording. It first showed a strange Ruby running into Beach City from the lighthouse. He was wielding his dagger, slashing it back and forth and yelling at the people to scatter or die! Panic ensued, with vacationers and residents screaming and running away from her. Onion hid behind a dumpster and continued filming. The Ruby then began tearing the boardwalk apart, all the while calling the Crystal Gems "cowards" for not showing themselves.

"Who the heck IS that Ruby?" Said Steven.

The Temple Gate opened, and Amethyst stepped out. "'Sup guys?" She then saw the look on Steven's face. "Steven, what happened?"

"Something's happened to Connie! Come look!" The Quartz Gem huddled near the video. "Damn! That's one of Blue Diamond's Ruby's!" She frowned. Onion quickly tapped Steven on the shoulder to signal them both to pay attention, as Connie came into the picture.

"Connie!" Steven gasped, as he saw the Ruby throw a piece of the boardwalk at her. She reached and caught it with one hand, then pointing the wood at her, yelled at the Ruby, who approached her menacingly. Connie stood her ground, holding the boardwalk piece like a sword at the Ruby and yelling back.

"Oh, Connie, why didn't you call me!" said Steven watching this unfold. He saw the Ruby cut the wood into pieces, and Connie dodging the Ruby's slashes.

Then it happened! Connie changed into Topaz and brought out her weapons. "She's gonna whoop her butt!" Said Amethyst. But Onion shook his head, and pointed to the edge of the video, where a second Ruby began sneaking from behind! "Uh, oh!" she responded.

Steven ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh God, what's she pulling out of her Gem?"

"That's a Gem Destabilizer!" Said Amethyst.

"But...it doesn't work on Connie or me, right?" Frowned Steven, until he saw the Ruby plunge the destabilizer into Topaz's back! She froze, as circuit-like bolts of light flowed all around her Gem body.

"Oh damn, oh damn!" Said Amethyst. Then, a poof, and a Topaz Gem plopped to the ground. Grinning, the first Ruby picked it up.

"Connie! Oh God!" cried Steven. "This is bad, this is very bad!" said Amethyst.

"Keep watching!" said Sour Cream, and they saw the second Ruby take out a Diamond Communicator. A portal opened in the air, and the Ruby spoke to Blue Pearl, then closed the communicator.

"Where are they?! Where are they now!" Said Steven anxiously.

"They're gone, man," said Sour Cream. Onion nodded, then fast-forwarded his video a few seconds. It showed a Roaming Eye landing on the beach, and the two Rubys getting in. The spaceship took off. "Onion went to grab me so we could get you, but no sooner did he start to take off, when that ship came out of the sky. He decided to stay to make sure he recorded it so you could know which type it was. It came and went fast. He grabbed me on the way to your house." Onion hugged Steven and whispered in his ear "I'm sorry."

* * *

In Topaz's prison cell, the Gem started to elevate. Reaching about five feet, it disappeared in a flash, and streaks of white light emanated, as a silhouette appeared in the shape of a Crystal Gem. Then, with sparkles, her final form regenerated, with sparkles dancing around her as she slowly returned to the prison floor. Topaz looked around. "Where am I?" She wondered, then saw that she was in a cell, blocked by an electric, yellow force field. Touching the field gave her a painful shock! Then remembering something, she thought: "Wait a minute! Steven told me about this. Being half-human, I can walk through this force field. All I have to do is change to my human form." She give it a thought, and…

Nothing happened.

"What…? Why didn't I change? Maybe I'm tired; let me try again. And thinking again, she tried to think of being human…

Nothing. She was still Topaz.

"Ah, I see you've regenerated." A Peridot entered the prison area. She wore Limb Enhancers, like Crystal Gem's Peridot had before they were discarded by Amethyst.

"Where am I?" Asked Topaz.

"That is not your concern, nor do I care to entertain it," scowled the Peridot. "In fact, I am the one to ask the questions, and you are the one to answer them. First question: Who is your Diamond?"

"Wha...I have no Diamond!"

"Absurd! Crystal Gem or not, rebel or not, you were created for one Diamond, and one Diamond only! You will tell me who that Diamond is!" The Peridot projected a holographic touchscreen from the floating fingers of her right hand, and pressed a button. An electric prod opened up in Topaz's cell, shooting a spark at her. Painful shock waves coursed through her Gem body!

"Aaaaah!" Topaz screamed, falling to her knees.

"That was a lower setting," the Peridot coldly looked at her prisoner. Now, tell me the truth."

"Look," she groaned, "I don't know who you are, or where this place is, but I'm telling you: I am from Earth! I am not a Gem created for some Diamond!"

"Really? Hmm, I thought your Gem was strange when I experimented on it."

"Experimented on my Gem?" Thought Topaz, "What did she do to me? Is that why I can't change?"

"So the Crystal Gems are creating some strange experimental Gems on Earth, eh? What other monstrosities have they invented? Or are you the first?"

"Let me out of here and I'll show you!" Topaz sneered.

"I think not," she replied, and closing her touchscreen, the prod in the cell retracted. "I will prepare a report for my Diamond. In the meantime, enjoy your stay."

"And who is your Diamond?" She asked.

"Hmm," the Peridot scoffed, "You are not a very bright Gem," and pointed to the insignia at her solar plexus, which showed a blue diamond. She started to walk away, then turned back.

"Oh! I looked up the formula for your Gem. Topaz. An interesting stone. I assume that is what they call you?"

"Yes."

The Peridot walked away without saying anything further. Topaz collapsed against a corner. "Oh, Steven, why didn't I listen to my own advice? 'If we work together…'. Instead, I charged ahead on my own!" Crossing her arms, she put her head down and sobbed quietly.

* * *

"She's likely still on Blue Diamond's warship," said Lapis Lazuli. "We're tracking one that left Earth's star system just now." Since the Gem Homeworld was conquered, she returned and joined their Homeworld Reconnaissance Office (HRO). The HRO is in charge of designing, building, launching, and maintaining the Gem Homeworld's intelligence satellites throughout the Empire.

"Acknowledged, Lapis, thank you," said Garnet on the Homeworld Communicator.

"Homeworld is sending a Gem Warship to intercept. Do any of the Crystal Gems wish to join the crew?" Lapis asked.

"Yes! Yes!" Responded Steven, then steadied himself. "That is, I would like to join."

"Of course, Steven," said Lapis. "Anyone else?"

"I will come," said Garnet, along with Pearl and Amethyst." She looked to the two, who nodded solemnly.

"I will meet you at the Homeworld Galaxy Warp Nexus Station. Be good to see you again. Wish it was under better circumstances, Steven."

* * *

It was time for an audience with Blue Diamond. On entering her court arrayed in the battleship, Topaz surveyed the surroundings. There were a few loyal aristocratic-looking Gems of various types in the room. When Topaz first entered with the Peridot, shackled by her hands and feet, the Gems turned and stared at this strange blue Crystal Gem. "Ugh! What is that creature?" One asked. "Obviously an inferior outworld Gem!" Said another. "Is this what the Crystal Gems have been reduced to?" Some laughed. Topaz ignored them all and stared straight ahead.

Blue Diamond was seated in a large Palanquin covered with a gossamer fabric curtain. Four steps led up to the floor inside. A Blue Pearl, hands clasped on her chest, stood silently to Blue Diamond's right, outside the curtain. The entourage stopped outside the Palanquin.

"Bring the prisoner in," Blue Diamond told the Peridot. "Yes, My Diamond, and pushed Topaz up the steps. The prisoner looked up at her, seated on the royal throne. She was huge. The Blue Pearl to Blue Diamond's right was the same height at Topaz, yet they both only reached the Diamond's knees. She had a dark navy blue complexion, with plump lips and a straight nose. Her Gem was located on her chest. She wore a long, blue cloak of a slightly lighter shade and more vibrant than her skin, and a dark blue bodysuit with a cut-out for her gemstone.

"So this is the Topaz." Blue Diamond looked down at the prisoner. Topaz wanted to sneer, but something odd occurred in her emotions. Some unknown (to her at least) gemetic process stirred up from deep within her Gem - a process every Gem instinctively knows from the moment she emerges from the rock in Kindergarten. It is the process that Rose Quartz first had to purge from her system, and then teach the other Crystal Gems to "un-learn": respect for the Gem caste system and particularly respect for the Great Diamond Authority. Topaz fought this, but being new to this side of her, unfortunately lost out to the Gem's influence. She found herself bowing low to Blue Diamond, putting her palms together in the Indian gesture of Añjali Mudrā.

One part of her humanity won out, however: she kept herself from using the words "My Diamond". Instead, bowing, she merely said "Blue Diamond."

"Well," the diamond smiled back, "at least this Crystal Gem knows some respect. Perhaps the time she spent with you, Peridot, has been useful." The Peridot smiled. "Yes, My Diamond."

Blue Diamond sensed a weakness in Topaz, and intended to exploit it. Leaning forward, she pulled off her hood, revealing her brilliant, piercing blue eyes. "What can you tell me, Topaz, of the Crystal Gems on Earth," she asked.

Standing back up, Topaz met her gaze; she was frozen! She couldn't take her eyes off of her interrogator's! A fierce battle ensued in her mind and her emotions. Love of Steven, loyalty to her allies, and raw courage was battling millennia of Gem programming.

"I...I" Hesitating, she forced herself to think of Steven, and of Earth, to think of Pearl, and the Crystal Gems. She remembered what she had said as a young girl: "I don't know what will happen in the future, but if something dangerous comes along, I don't want to be a burden, I want to help! I want to be there for Steven, to fight by his side! The Earth is my home too, can't I help protect it?"

"Yes, Topaz?" Blue Diamond asked.

Mustering every ounce of courage, she finally found herself saying, "I'm sorry, Blue Diamond...I...I...will tell you nothing."

"I see," she replied, leaning back on her throne. "Well, that is unfortunate."

The Peridot frowned angrily. "Shall I shatter this one My Diamond?" She asked.

Blue Diamond raised her hand. "Not yet. We may have use for her still. In the meantime, perhaps you can come up with...some ways of encouraging her cooperation."

The Peridot bowed. "Yes, My Diamond, with pleasure." And grabbing Topaz's arm, she pulled her out of the Palanquin, away from the court, and back to the prison, throwing Topaz back into her cell. "I'll deal with you later, after I've thought about the best ways of making you talk!" The Peridot yelled.

Alone again in the prison, Topaz paced back and forth in her cell. She thought over the recent events. "What happened to me over there?" She wondered. "What was going through my mind when I looked up at Blue Diamond? I've never felt that way before! It was like some ancient programming suddenly kicked in and tried to take over me." Putting her hand on her head, she absentmindedly touched the Gem on her forehead and thought, "could it be the Gem talking? Garnet once told me that Gems have programming built into them, which is why they emerge knowing things; that is why I suddenly knew how to bring forth my weapons!"

"What if...what if the longer I'm in Gem form, the more Gem programming overtakes me? What if I reach a point where my humanity disappears completely?"

* * *

The Earth crew stepped off the Galaxy Warp platform, arriving at Gem Homeworld. Lapis was there to greet them. "Steven!" She yelled, and came up to give him an embrace. "I'm so sorry about Connie."

"Thanks, Lapis," he replied. "Any news from Homeworld Intel?"

"Yes, there's a Homeworld battleship within range of Blue Diamond's ship. They're moving to intercept. This was a rash move of hers; she must have realized we would not take an abduction lightly."

"Why do you think she would do such a thing if her chances of getting away were so low?" Said Steven. "Blue Diamond knows that our forces are more powerful than hers."

"Let's just concentrate on getting her back," said Amethyst.

"I fear a rescue, although successful, may not be enough," said Garnet.

Pearl looked at her strangely. "Whatever do you mean?"

"It's just as Lapis said. Blue Diamond knows the chances of a successful abduction is extremely remote. A successful rescue would be likely. Therefore, we should assume that their intention was not merely to abduct a Crystal Gem - to extract intelligence, certainly. But also...I'm afraid to say."

"Afraid to say? Afraid to say what?" Demanded Pearl, then put a hand to her mouth. "You...you don't mean…?"

"What?! What does she mean?" Said Steven, panicking.

Garnet sighed, and looked at Steven solemnly. "Gem manipulation."

* * *

 **What is Gem manipulation, and are they doing it to Connie/Topaz? Will Steven and company get to her in time? We shall see!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Connie/Topaz is at the mercy of Blue Diamond's Peridot.**

* * *

"I will never cooperate with you!"

"Well, you will eventually," said the Peridot to Topaz.

"What, by torturing me?"

The Peridot laughed. "Oh, no. That takes too much time. I have found more...expeditious ways of gaining a Gem's cooperation." Her floating fingers brought out the holographic touchscreen. She swiped a circle with her finger, touched an area in the middle, and Topaz found herself getting pulled and slammed against the back wall, arms and legs outstretched! Bright, shimmering electrical circuits began flowing toward her, each pulse making Topaz's Gem glow and fade, glow and fade. Her brain throbbed with each pulse.

"Aah!" She grunted, "What are you doing to me?!"

"You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

The rescue crew arrived on the Homeworld battleship. "Welcome aboard, everyone!" Said the Captain."I'm Rutile." She was a Rose Quartz, tall like Steven's Mom, but with long straight pink hair tied into a braid that rested between her shoulders. Her Gem had faint red streaks in it. Rutile was wearing a Gem military outfit.

"Good to see you again, Rutile," said Pearl.

"And you Pearl! Garnet, long time, no see!" She shook hands with the two. "And this must be Amethyst! And Steven! Glad to meet you both!" She reached down with both arms and gave them a hearty greeting. The Captain was a gregarious, boisterous Gem.

"Now, let's talk about this rescue!" She began, rubbing her hands. "Steven! I understand it's your partner Topaz?"

"Yes. On Earth, we call it my wife."

"Understood. How long has she been gone?"

"Two days," said Garnet.

Rutile's demeanor changed. Sighing, she made a fist and rubbed the knuckle of her thumb on her mouth in thought. Turning to Pearl, she said, "I'm sure you're aware that Blue Diamond's technicians have been perfecting Gem manipulation. We'd better get to Topaz as soon as possible. I fear what they may have done to her in two days' time."

Steven held his head in his hand. He began to feel sick. Garnet put her hand on his shoulder. "Steven, whatever they may do to her, she can be brought back," the tall Fusion said comfortingly.

* * *

"Hmm. What is this piece of data here?" The Peridot was scrutinizing Topaz's Gem carefully. "This does not fit any gemetic purpose. What is a 'Connie'?"

"My...human...name." Topaz said weakly.

"Human?! You are a hybrid?"

"Y...yes."

"That will not do - that will not do at all!" And she initiated the process of removing the human elements from Topaz's Gem.

"No...please...stop."

"Stop? Why? These are clearly deficient qualities." Completing the configuration for Gem element removal, the Peridot touched the button to begin.

The panel displayed "Error". She frowned, and tried another method, and touched the button yet again.

"Error."

"Hmph!" She thought to herself. "Fine. If I can't remove these, I'll just block them!" And one by one, she began tracing through each human element in Topaz's Gem, laying a "Block" on it.

Precious memories began to slowly fade away. Her parents. Her childhood. Her time with the Crystal Gems. Steven. Topaz sobbed quietly. "No...no...no…"

When the Peridot was done, Topaz lay silently against the wall. "There! That's better now, eh?" she said to her "patient".

"Yes," said Topaz flatly.

"Time to put in some useful data!" And began infusing replacement qualities - those fitting for one of Blue Diamond's soldiers.

* * *

"Intercept in three hours," Rutile told the crew. They should be aware of our presence very soon. They will no doubt attempt to flee, but since the war, we've developed some enhancements to our ships. I can outrun theirs."

"What's the plan?" Asked Pearl.

"Hail them, tell them to hand over their prisoner. If they refuse, disable their ship and board. This ship has weaponry superior to theirs."

"We're coming, Connie," said Steven.

* * *

"There! I think you are ready," said the Peridot, releasing Topaz from the wall holding her. She stepped back onto the floor. The cell door was opened and she stepped out.

"How do you feel?" The Peridot asked.

"I feel well, Peridot, thank you," said Topaz. Her outer clothing had changed as well, to match that of a (pre-war) Homeworld soldier, similar to Jasper's when she was a Homeworld soldier: a sleeveless bodysuit with a dark blue V-neck collar and a blue diamond in the center. The torso of the bodysuit was a lighter blue, the legs a dark blue. She wore black boots with light blue toe caps.

"In addition to the weapons you already had, I've given you new ones; let's see them." And out of her Gem, Topaz pulled twin multi-tailed dark blue whips with spiked balls on the ends, much like Amethyst's. She cracked them, and they emitted huge lightning bolts.

"Good! Good!" Now the spear." And returning the whips, she pulled out a tall spear much like Pearl's.

"Finally, your Energy Bow. And maintaining the spear, Topaz summoned her whip, fusing both weapons together to form her bow. Flashes of light appeared and a gust of wind blew her hair back. The spear formed the limbs of the bow while the lash and handle of the whip became the string and grip. It looked exactly like Opal's except it was various shades of blue.

"Very nice, very nice. So, are you ready for your briefing?"

"Ready, willing and able!"

"Let's go, then." And she and Topaz left the prison area and walked toward Blue Diamond's courtroom. Gaining an audience with her, the Peridot announced proudly, "My Diamond, may I present our newest soldier."

Topaz bowed before the throne. "My Diamond, it is an honor to be in your service."

Blue Diamond smiled. "We are pleased to have you, Topaz" she replied. "I have a special mission for you." She clapped her hands, and her Pearl ascended the stairs. "Yes, my Diamond?"

"Summon Topaz's crew." And the Pearl hurried away.

* * *

"There it is! Get ready!" Said Rutile.

"Garnet, you know where the prison cells are located. As soon as we're on their ship, head straight to it to rescue Topaz," said Rutile.

"Acknowledged."

"Steven, you go with her. Pearl, you and Amethyst stay on the bridge. I will remain here in case they try anything."

"Right," said Pearl.

* * *

'My Diamond! Enemy ship approaching! It will be within range shortly!"

"As expected," she responded. "Is my ship ready?"

"Yes, My Diamond," said the Quartz Captain. And Blue Diamond boarded her ship and left.

"Alright, everyone!" Said the Captain, "You all know the drill! We follow the plan to the letter!"

* * *

"Renegade ship! This is Captain Rutile of the New Gem Homeworld! Surrender your Crystal Gem prisoner or we will fire on your vessel!"

The Quartz Captain got on her comm. "We have no intention of obeying commands from some ragtag renegade ship, 'Captain Rutile'. Besides, what is this 'prisoner' of which you speak?"

"Two days ago your Rubys abducted one of our Crystal Gems. Our Intel traced her to your ship. I suggest you hand her over, or you will be boarded. You have 5 minutes to comply."

The Quartz Captain set the battleship for maximum speed, and fled in the opposite direction from the approaching vessel.

"Oh, so they want to play rough!" Said Rutile. She pushed the control on her console and sped ahead, reaching the other ship in seconds. Touching another control, she fired on the Blue Diamond ship's main thrusters, rendering them inoperable. Their ship was dead in space.

"Prepare to be boarded," Captain Rutile announced.

* * *

The landing crew arrived on the bridge. "Hands up! Don't move!" Yelled Pearl to all assembled, as she and Amethyst held their weapons. All complied. Garnet and Steven ran to the prison holding area. They were met by the Peridot.

"Where is Topaz?" Steven demanded.

The Peridot laughed at the rescue crew. "Fools! You are looking for your Crystal Gem, but she's no longer here!"

"Where is she? Speak!" Demanded Steven.

The Peridot looked down at Steven and sneered. "And what are you?! Another one of those hybrids? Ugh!"

Steven looked around the prison area. "You're hiding her, aren't you? Topaz! Connie! Where are you!"

"Stupid hybrid! She is not here."

"Then where?" He demanded.

"Why, she is on one of Blue Diamond's Roaming Eyes, heading toward Earth. She should be arriving very shortly."

"What? She escaped?" Said Steven.

"Escaped? Escaped, why?" Sneered the Peridot.

"Come with us to the bridge," said Garnet, and the two led the Peridot to where Pearl and Amethyst were standing.

"This Peridot says Topaz is no longer on the ship," said Garnet.

"What did you do to her?" Yelled Amethyst.

"Do to her? Why nothing, nothing at all! Unless, by that you mean what we do to all renegade Gems, of course!" she laughed.

"Oh, no," said Garnet quietly.

"Heh heh! Your tall one catches on," replied the Peridot. Oh, Topaz is doing quite well, quite well indeed. She's commanding a cadre of Blue Diamond's best Rubys in an attack. You see, Topaz is one of our soldiers now. In fact, you'd better return to Earth as quickly as you can, to defend that miserable rock against her incredible powers. I've enhanced them quite nicely."

Her face full of rage, Garnet summoned her gauntlets and smashed their console, rendering the warship dead in space. "You can have Blue Diamond come and rescue you," she told the crew. She then contacted Rutile. "Bring us back."

* * *

"So it's as I feared," Rutile said, "they turned her."

"Completely," replied Garnet.

"That was fast," said Rutile. "With most Gems it takes several days."

"It must have been her inexperience as a Gem that allowed them to do it so quickly," said Pearl. "Let's hope we can bring her back just as easily."

"You can bring her back?" Steven asked hopefully.

"We'll have to capture her first," Garnet replied. "That will be a challenge. "It's very likely that Peridot has greatly enhanced her weaponry. We are in for quite a fight."

* * *

"Approaching Earth," said Topaz.

"Where are we going first, Topaz?" The first Ruby asked.

"I can't wait to smash some Crystal Gems!" Boasted a second Ruby.

"Me too!" Said a third, "I'll slash them with my dagger, ha!"

"Just one?! I'll take down two at once!" Said the fourth, banging her fists together.

"Hah! You'll all have to get behind ME, 'cuz I'll be first in line!" Said the fifth.

"Pipe down, you five! You'll all have your chance. Now sit down; we're landing."

"Yes, Ma'am," they said in unison, and got in their seats.

"First destination: The new Kindergarten the Crystal Gems built."

"We're tearing it down?" Asked the first, excitedly.

"Get ready to fuse," smiled Topaz.

* * *

Peridot was working in the new Kindergarten when her sensors detected the approach of a space vessel. "Strange, I'm not expecting anyone." She left her work and stepped outside to see an incoming Roaming Eye. She knew it was not one of theirs.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" She yelled frantically, and ran inside to call for reinforcements. Getting on the communicator, she reached Citrine. "Enemy Roaming Eye landing in my Kindergarten! Hurry!"

"Jasper and I are on our way, Peridot," she replied. The thud and hissing of a landing vessel announced their arrival. Not wanting to be seen, Peridot hid behind an injector. The door opened, and Topaz stepped out!

"Topaz! You escaped!" Yelled Peridot happily, and ran to greet her, then stopped suddenly. "Wait...why are you dressed like that?"

It was too late! Topaz brought out one of her blue whips and cracked it at Peridot, striking her. She poofed, and her Gem fell to the ground. Walking over, Topaz picked up the Gem, bubbled it and sent Peridot into the Roaming Eye's brig. "We'll bring that one back to base," she told the Rubys.

A voice crackled on the communicator inside the Kindergarten. "All Crystal Gems! This is Pearl! Topaz has been turned by Blue Diamond! Do not approach her - she is to be considered an enemy! Repeat: Topaz has..." Topaz smashed the console with her fist.

"Destroy this Kindergarten," she told the Rubys. And they began to fuse into a giant Ruby, when…

"Topaz!"

It was Jasper. She and Citrine had just stepped off the Warp Pad. "Stand down!"

"Jasper." Topaz replied coldly. "Turncoat." She brought out both of her whips. "I suggest you return to whatever cowardly cave you came from. And take your toady with you." The Ruby Fusion turned and slammed its fists together. "Shall we pulverize these two, Topaz?

* * *

 **Jasper and Citrine will battle with a turned and much enhanced Topaz and Fused Rubys! Who will win? We shall see!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Blue Diamond Topaz captured Peridot and she and the Fused Rubys were about to destroy the new Kindergarten, when they are confronted by Jasper and Citrine!**

* * *

Jasper shook her head; she recognized this Gem. "Connie," she said sadly. "So, you've been turned."

The fused Ruby looked down at Jasper and laughed. "This stupid Crystal Gem doesn't even know your name!" Jasper summoned her Crash Helmet and in an instant, lunged at the Ruby with a Comet Charge, striking the fusion with such incredible force that they un-fused and fell apart! Scattered, the Rubys rushed to re-fuse, while Jasper and Citrine attacked Topaz: Jasper with a Spin Dash and Citrine with her Studded Gauntlets. Topaz rapidly jumped in a Kalaripayattu technique, spinning, while summoning her Paricha shield. At the exact second that Jasper sped underneath, Topaz slammed Jasper's Spin Dash with the shield, sending the Crystal Gem careening into into a cliff wall.

Topaz then planted her feet, returning her Paricha and summoning her spear. Holding the spear and whip, she fused both weapons together to form a shimmering blue bow. Flashes of light appeared and a gust of wind blew her hair back, as she drew the bow back and summoned a Gem Bubbling arrow, aiming it at Citrine. The arrow flew from her bow at lightning speed and struck Citrine, exploding on impact, automatically poofing and bubbling her into the Roaming Eye.

"You're next, traitor," Topaz said coldly to Jasper. She returned her bow and arrow and summoned her Katar daggers.

"Not if we can help it!" Said a voice from the right. It was Garnet. She'd arrived with Pearl, Amethyst and Steven. They summoned their weapons.

Topaz sneered. "Good! More additions to my brig."

"Connie!" Yelled Steven, heartbroken.

"That's not Connie - not right now," said Pearl.

"Stop calling for this 'Connie'. I know of no Connie," said Topaz. She then spread her arms out, aiming at both Jasper to her left, and the new arrivals at her right. Firing her Katar daggers, they separated into dozens of razor-sharp weapons, speeding like guided missiles at their targets. Steven immediately enlarged his shield to protect Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. The daggers hit the shield and bounced off harmlessly. Jasper, however, was helpless against the onslaught of scores of Katars headed her way!

Suddenly, an enormous boulder landed squarely between Jasper and the daggers! They struck the rock, exploding.

"What?! Who dares…?" Yelled Topaz, and looked over to see yet another Crystal Gem approaching! This one was large like Jasper, with a periwinkle complexion, hair styled in several dreadlocks in a mixture of several bright tones, all held back by a lilac headband.

"You! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off building something?" Topaz sneered.

"The only thing I should be building, you twisted Gem, is your prison cell!" Bismuth formed her fist into an enormous hammer, which she used to slam the rock floor. "Y'all best leave my friends alone!" The impact of striking the ground caused tremors in the area.

"I have no need of battling you," said Topaz calmly. "You have no weapons that interest me in the least." She turned to the fused Rubys. "Finish her off. I will enjoy this immensely."

"At last! A chance to smash a Crystal Gem!" Roared the huge Ruby.

Garnet motioned to Jasper, who nodded, then turned to her group. "We should get away." Tremors began shaking the ground.

The fused Ruby started moving toward Bismuth. "That's right," the Crystal Gem taunted it, walking backwards, swinging her hammer from side to side. "You want a piece of me? C'mon, show me what you got!" Topaz crossed her arms and smirked, as the giant fused Ruby came up and raised a fist straight up to smash the Crystal Gem like a bug. Bismuth stood there, waiting for the strike, then as the fist fell, she jumped. The fused Ruby's punch hit the ground, hard! "Oooh! Tsk tsk! Too slow - you missed the Bismuth," she laughed. Distracted, Topaz did not notice the others sneaking away, nor the earth rumbling under her feet.

Feinting away, Bismuth backed toward a rock wall. "Oh, oh, I'm scared now!" She said.

"Ha! You'd better be!" Said the fused Ruby, who wound up for another strike, this time a direct face hit. "No! No! Not the face! Please, not the face!" Bismuth put up her arms. Right behind her were barely perceptible cracks in the basalt rock wall. "Oh ho ho, I'm gonna enjoy this!" Said the fused Ruby, and wound up to slam Bismuth, but again, at the last moment, she jumped aside.

"Enough of this!" Yelled Topaz, "I'll take care of…"

At that moment, the rock wall buckled and burst open! It exploded into hundreds of pieces from floor to top, and an enormous waterfall of lava burst out! The red-hot melted rock struck all Gems present: Bismuth, the fused Rubys, and Topaz. The Rubys screamed! They un-fused, and poofed, their Gems floating atop the river of lava. Topaz screamed as well; her face a mixture of horror and surprise as the cascade of lava burst onto her body, immediately poofing her. Bismuth of course, being immune to the extreme high temperatures, took it all in stride. She walked around the lava lake, scooping up the Gems, bubbling them one at a time before they melted.

The Crystal Gems, meanwhile, had retreated to the now-captured Roaming Eye. Pearl piloted it above the incoming lava flow. "Peridot's going to be furious when she sees what happened to her Kindergarten," said Jasper, looking down. Indeed, the lava was pouring into Gamma Kindergarten, melting everything in sight. "Well, it was worth it," said Steven. "We rescued Connie." Topaz and the five Rubys were bubbled into cells in the Roaming Eye brig, where Peridot and Citrine had been sent.

"There's Bismuth," said Pearl, and brought the ship up to the top of the ridge. The Crystal Gem builder had climbed out of the lava lake, up the cliff edge, and stood up top,awaiting the arrival of the Roaming Eye. She was standing among some bushes, waving.

Pearl set the ship down and opened the hatch. Bismuth got in. "Hey, y'all, now how was THAT for taking care of Bismuth?" She joked.

"It was an excellent plan," smiled Garnet. "Glad we were able to communicate with you three before arriving back on earth. Sorry she got Citrine."

"She'll be OK once she regenerates," said Jasper, "she's a tough soldier."

"Glad I was in the area," said Bismuth. "I was checking out the volcano on this island as a possible site for my new forge when I got your call. Nice of Topaz to land the Roving Eye so close to that rock wall!"

"Did you know the magma was so close behind that wall?" Asked Steven.

Bismuth laughed. "If there's one thing I know, Steven, it's rocks: hard, melted, and in-between."

Suddenly, they heard yelling from the brig. "Hey! Hey! Can someone let me out?" It was Peridot. She had regenerated.

"That was fast," said Pearl. "It's a good thing," said Garnet, "She can keep an eye on Topaz." Steven went back to the brig to let Peridot out.

"Well, I best be gettin' back to my forge planning," said Bismuth. "Couldn't figure out why Peridot wanted a Kindergarten on this island anyway; too close to the volcano. Seems good for me though." She climbed out of the Roving Eye. "Pleasure doing Bismuth with ya!"

"See you, Bismuth!" Called Steven, "and thanks!"

Pearl contacted Rutile. "Mission accomplished."

"Glad to hear it! Set course for Homeworld. We have the facilities there for bringing Topaz back."

* * *

On the trip to Homeworld, Steven and Peridot went down to the brig. Topaz had regenerated. She was standing in a corner of her cell, arms crossed, looking at the floor. When she heard their footsteps, she growled "What do YOU want?"

Steven walked toward the force field. "Connie…"

Topaz looked up at him and stared. Her face lightened. "Steven," she said softly. Walking to the force field, Steven began to put a hand on it, as if to push through.

Then suddenly, Topaz rushed at him and smashed her fist in his direction! The fist hit the force field and electric circuits danced away from the impact site with an explosion of light! "Shut up! Don't call me that!" She screamed. "My name is Topaz and I am Blue Diamond's Gem! Now get that into your puny head, human!" She glared at him with hatred and fury.

Steven yelled back! "You don't remember me! You don't remember anything because they took it from you! You're human also! You have parents, and friends, and...and we have a life together!"

She stared at him blankly. "You're pathetic," and walked back to the corner. "Go away."

Peridot sighed and put her hand on Steven's shoulder. "Hopefully those memories are still in her Gem somewhere." Steven wiped the tears from his eyes and walked away. When they returned to the bridge, she said to him. "Sorry to say this, Steven, but at least she doesn't remember that you are immune to the force field; otherwise she may have continued to play that little game and let you put your hand through, thus giving her a chance to escape her cell."

Garnet, listening, added: "Had you done that, she would have grabbed your hand, pulled you in, and used the opening to get out, then taken over the ship. With her expanded powers and weaponry, it would have gone badly."

"That was in your future vision?" Asked Peridot.

"It was one possibility, but I knew she'd punch the force field instead."

Garnet had a strange feeling, and walked into the brig. She did not go to see Topaz, but instead went to the area where the five Rubys were held. "Oh, look!" Said one, "here's that tall Fusion they told us about." Each was in her own cell, and Garnet walked silently, looking at each one. "What do you want, Fusion?" One asked. The tall Crystal Gem stopped in front of her. "I know you." "Ha!" The Ruby laughed, "I've never seen you before." "Yes. You have," Garnet replied.

Garnet did this with one other, not saying much, just looking at the Ruby and saying "I know you." She was likewise mocked, being told she's crazy. Garnet walked back to the bridge and sat down. She was quiet for a while.

"Garnet, you OK?" Steven asked.

She smiled at him. "Do you remember the story I told you about how I came to be a Crystal Gem?" He nodded. "Well, I know two of those Rubys in the brig."

Steven's eyes grew big! "You mean…?" She nodded. "There were three Rubys that escorted Sapphire that day. One jumped off the Cloud Arena with her, while two had been poofed by the Crystal Gems and remained with Blue Diamond. Those two are in the brig."

"Oh..my gosh!"

Garnet leaned back. "I just had a feeling."

* * *

Shackled hand and foot, Topaz was led by several Homeworld Quartz soldiers into the Gem operating area. "You can do with me what you want," she mocked the technicians, "but I will always remain loyal to my Diamond."

"We will see, Topaz," the Homeworld Peridot replied.

Steven and the rest of the Crystal Gems who had journeyed to Homeworld were in the Observation deck, watching the procedure. "How are they going to do this?" He asked.

"They'll have to poof her," replied Crystal Gem Peridot. And sure enough, a bright electrical bolt shot out of an overhead device aimed at Topaz. Her body glowed bright white, and in a puff of smoke, she disappeared. Her Gem fell and landed on a tray. The Peridot picked it up and put it in a special Gemetic analysis/repair apparatus. "Well, here we go," said Crystal Gem Peridot. Steven put his head in his hands. Pearl and Garnet each put a hand on his shoulders.

The Homeworld Peridot sighed after an initial examination. "Strong influences were implanted for loyalty to the Diamond Authority in this Gem. Will be tricky to remove. There may be residue left after I'm done." She looked up to those in the audience. "I would not entirely trust her when I'm through. She may still have loyalty issues. It will be up to you to purge her of that, like Rose Quartz did. Hopefully her memories are intact." Pearl nodded. "Like Rose helped me."

The Homeworld Peridot continued with her examination, looking for sealed memories. It took a while, but then, "Ah! I found something!" She turned up to the audience. "Peridot, can you come down to assist?" The Crystal Gem got up and ran downstairs. "How can I help?"

"Look here," the Homeworld Peridot showed her on the display. "You see these seals?"

"Yes, yes! Those are her human memories!" Steven put a fist to his mouth and chewed on a knuckle! "Oh, please, please, let them be recoverable!" He said to himself. "Let us remove the seals," said the Homeworld Peridot." And Crystal Gem Peridot pulled up another control panel. Together they began the delicate process of, one-by-one, pulling off the seals that the Blue Diamond Peridot had put on Topaz's memories. "So many...this will take some time," said the Homeworld Peridot." "However long it takes," said Crystal Gem Peridot, "Topaz is my friend," Steven smiled, as did all in the audience.

* * *

"There. I think we've done all we can," said the Homeworld Peridot. "What do you think?"

"That's about it," replied Crystal Gem Peridot. "All we can do is wait until she regenerates."

"In a prison cell, I'm afraid," the other Peridot replied. "I'm still not convinced that her loyalties to Blue Diamond are fully purged." She removed Topaz's Gem from the Gemetic analysis/repair device and brought it to one of the cells. Exiting, she turned to one of the Quartz soldiers guarding the prisoners. "Turn on the force field." And left Topaz to regenerate. Steven remained behind, waiting to see what would happen.

Some time later, Topaz's Gem began to regenerate, elevating above the cell floor. Steven stood by, waiting. Would Topaz remember him? What, if any, would be the ill effects of Blue Diamond's manipulations? Reaching about five feet, the Gem disappeared in a flash, and soon enough, Topaz reappeared. She looked around and saw him.

"Steven!"

His heart jumped! "Connie?" He wanted to rush inside, but hesitated, remembering what the Homeworld Peridot had said.

She looked at her surroundings. "Where am I? Why am I in a prison cell?"

"Do you...what do you remember?"

She looked at him strangely. "I...why are you keeping me here?" She walked up to the force field and pushed on it, receiving a painful shock! "Ow! Steven," she cried, "please, let me out!"

"I'm sorry Connie, I can't let you out. They're worried that Blue Diamond may have planted some influences in you."

She suddenly turned angry! She slammed the force field! "Let me out! Now!" Shocked, Steven stepped back. "Peridot!"

* * *

 **Apparently Topaz/Connie is not fully healed. Can she be?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Something's wrong with Topaz/Connie!**

* * *

Steven ran toward Peridot, who was rushing into the brig. "What's going on? What's the matter?"

"It's Connie!" Said Steven, "she's going nuts!"

"Well, duh! We warned you there'd be some Blue Diamond residue left over in her Gem."

Peridot sighed. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if she was absolutely healed. Let me examine her." And she took out her portable Gemetic analysis scanner and approached Topaz's cell. The blue Gem was sitting in a corner on the floor, knees up, arms crossed, head down, sobbing.

"Connie, what's wrong?" Asked Steven.

She looked up, tears coming down out of her visor. "Steven, I wish I knew! I don't know why I got angry with you earlier. I'm so sorry; I think I'm losing my mind!"

"There's nothing wrong with you," said Peridot, looking at the scan readout.

"What do you mean?" She asked, wiping her tears. "Nothing wrong? Nothing wrong?! Why am I having these fits? Why did I lash out at my husband?"

"How much do you remember of your abduction?" The green Gem asked in a clinical voice while typing on her monitor. She was curious to see if the Blue Diamond technicians had manipulated Topaz's recent memories as well as suppress her human ones.

Topaz sat back and thought. "I remember fighting that Ruby in Beach City, then something hit me in the back! Oh, that hurt so bad! Then, the next thing I knew, I woke up in a prison cell like this one, except it was with a different Peridot. She had a blue uniform.

"Mm hmm." Peridot kept monitoring Topaz's Gem while this conversation continued, scanning over various areas of her Gem. "Do you remember what happened to you while you were there?"

"She took me in shackles to the court area, where there were some aristocratic Gems. Then I was brought over to have an audience with my Diamond."

"What?" Peridot raised an eye. "What did you just say?"

One of the displays on her monitor jumped! Peridot stopped the scan to immediately begin recording. Topaz put a hand to her head. "I...I" Her demeanor changed again! She jumped up and became angry. "Release me!" She yelled. "You can't keep me here!" Steven put a hand to his mouth.

Peridot looked back at her dispassionately. "And, just where would you go?"

"To my Diamond!" She banged on the force field again. "Blue Diamond!"

The green Gem looked at her monitor, studying the results and typing. "Interesting," she said after a few minutes. "I see your problem, Topaz. Yes, it's clear now."

"What, Peridot?" Asked Steven, "what is it?"

"Why didn't I see this earlier?" She scoffed. "Topaz has only been a Gem for a short while, and when I created her, the spot in her Gem where the Gemetic influences for Diamond Authority loyalty was left completely empty. Naturally, when a Gem is created in the normal sense, it's filled. That Blue Diamond Peridot must have seen the empty spot as a flaw in her Gem, and filled it."

She turned to Topaz. "It's clear now. That is why it's so strong in you, and why we haven't purged it - yet - we didn't think it was necessary to look there."

Topaz stared at her blankly, then calmed down. The "Connie" in her returned. "You're saying I'm sick, then? Like in human terms, brainwashed?"

"In a manner of speaking. You're going to require some additional Gemetic surgery.

Topaz looked at Steven, anguish on her face. "Please, do it quickly. I can't stand being like this. I feel like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

Peridot look confused. "Dr. Who and Mr. Who?"

"Characters from a human mystery story," said Steven. "Same guy, two personalities: one good, one evil. Mr. Hyde was the evil one."

"Oh. Well, we need to get Mr. Hyde out of your Gem, Topaz," said Peridot, "now that we know where he's hiding." Peridot was still wearing her extenders from the surgery, and used her floating fingers to reveal a virtual control panel. Drawing a line on it, she made a ray gun come out of the cell wall, pointed at Topaz. The blue Gem flinched when she saw the gun pointed at her.

"Alright then, let's get started," she said, and tapped a circle on the panel. A bolt of electrical light struck Topaz, and gasping, she flashed bright white, then in a puff, reverted to her Gem. It fell to the ground. Peridot then opened the force field and picked the Gem up. "Back to the operating room we go."

* * *

"Alright, now that we know where the Blue Diamond influences are buried, let's purge them from this Gem," said the Homeworld Peridot. She and Crystal Gem Peridot were standing before the operating room control panel, with the display screen before them. Topaz's Gem was inside the Gemetic analysis/repair apparatus.

Steven was in the audience with Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst. "Won't take long," said Garnet.

A short while later, the Homeworld Peridot declared the operation a success. "All influences from this region purged." Steven called down from the observation area. "Can she come home?"

"I will leave that decision up to your Peridot," she replied. Crystal Gem Garnet looked up to the audience. "With proper supervision, and perhaps some work in your Fusion Realm, Garnet?"

Garnet nodded. "That will depend on how and in what manner Topaz will fuse," the tall Fusion Gem replied.

"What do you mean, Garnet?" Steven asked. "We have yet to see Topaz switch to human mode." She replied. "She didn't when she was under Blue Diamond's influence - she could easily have switched to human, then like you, gone through the force field to escape. That Topaz did not do it suggests she can't. We must be prepared for the possibility that Blue Diamond's Peridot has damaged her ability to do so."

"You mean, Connie may permanently be a Gem?" Steven gasped.

"It's a possibility."

"I think we can bring this Gem to a recovery area," said Crystal Gem Peridot. "Steven, Garnet, can you come with me?"

The Crystal Gems all nodded together. "We'll all come," said Garnet, and they went to a different area, away from the brig. The recovery area was nicely laid out, with a padded platform for the recovering Gem, and seats for waiting friends.

"This is nice," said Steven, "any games on that monitor?"

"Whatever you want, dude," said Amethyst, and pulled out controllers. "Ever since peace was declared, I put lots of stuff in here!" She pulled up "Lonely Blade". "Think you can beat me?"

"You're on!" And picking up a controller, they went after each other. Pearl rolled her eyes, while Garnet watched and smiled.

* * *

Some time later, Topaz began to regenerate. Her Gem levitated, the silhouette appeared, then with sparkles, her final form appeared and she came down to the floor.

"Welcome back, Topaz," smiled Garnet.

"How did they do? With the Gem surgery, I mean."

"Our Peridot believes they've removed all the Blue Diamond influences," said Pearl. "How do you feel? Any yearnings for her?"

Topaz thought. "None that I can sense, not like last time. Oh, what a relief!"

Steven got up to hug her. "I'm so happy! Welcome home, Connie!" She hugged him back.

"Now, Connie, something very important," said Garnet. "Try to change back to your human form."

"Oh, yes, I remember: back when I was in Blue Diamond's prison cell, I tried, and I couldn't. That Peridot said she'd experimented on my Gem; I thought maybe she did something to me." Topaz thought about changing to human.

Nothing happened.

"Oh no! I can't!"

"It's as I feared," said Garnet. "That Peridot may have altered your Gem to prevent it."

"But, that can be repaired also, can't it?" Pearl asked.

"It's very possible that ability could have been contaminated - or worse," Garnet replied, "but we shall let the Homeworld Peridot make the call."

"I'm not finding that ability anywhere in the Gem," said the Homeworld Peridot after an exhaustive search. She looked up to the audience. "I'm sorry, it must have been deleted."

* * *

Sadly, the Crystal Gems returned to Earth. Entering the Crystal Temple, Garnet stepped up to the Temple Gate and added a new Blue Gem to it. "This will be your room, Topaz," she said. Topaz sighed and placed her hand on the door. The door opened. Walking in, the room was empty. "Nothing here."

"You make of it what you wish," said Pearl. "Yeah! You can have lots of stuff in here, like my room!" Said Amethyst.

"Hmm, we'll see," Topaz replied. "How do I…?"

"It's your room. Whatever your mind makes of it, it becomes," replied Garnet.

"This...is going to take some time," Topaz replied.

Pearl put her hand on Topaz's shoulder. "Take all the time you need."

"Connie?" Said Steven. "Can I help?"

Holding his hand, Topaz looked at him with great love - tinged with sadness. "I...don't know whether Connie exists anymore." A tear came to her eye. "But...Topaz can sure use your help."

* * *

"We're done," announced Topaz, and opened the door to her room. Everyone entered, and stepped inside. "Oh, my!" gasped Pearl, looking around. "Wow!" exclaimed Amethyst. "Very nice," said Garnet. The group were transported to a rockbound seashore with a Hindu Temple gate before them. Steven and Topaz had decorated it along the lines of the Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee. The base was decorated with sky-blue pillars set against a golden background. At the top was a Pagoda-style roof decorated with Hindu gods on each tier. To the right was a similarly-architected bell tower.

"Let's go inside," said Steven, and opened the doors. On entering, they were transported to an entirely different realm! Now they were in an enormous cave; before them, nestled inside a circular crevice, was a gigantic vertical ice pillar! Approximately 12,000 feet high, it came out of an opening at the top, nestled there like a mysterious blue-white ghost.

"Whoa!" Said Amethyst, "now that's a lotta ice!"

"Very interesting," said Garnet. "What is that, Topaz?"

"In India, particularly in the south, many Hindu temples have what are known as Swayambhu Lingams," she explained. "A lingam is a symbol of divine generative energy, worshiped as a symbol of manifest on their own - not made by man. They appear suddenly or mysteriously without any human efforts. They are self existing and when the saints or holy men see them they install them in a temple. We have several stories about great saints like Adi Shankara installing such lingams in several places."

"This one is a copy of an Ice Lingam at Amarnath Caves. It's a favorite of mine," she smiled.

"Oh Topaz, it's breathtaking!" Said Pearl.

"One more spot," Topaz said, and took them to a door to the left of the lingam. It led to...a surprise!

"What the…?" Laughed Amethyst. "This is too cool! Was this your idea, Steven?"

"Guilty," he smiled. For inside the door was a replica of their beach house. All of their memorabilia, photos, and furniture.

"But...why?" asked Pearl.

Topaz shrugged her shoulders. "Well, since this is my Gem room, we wanted a place where Steven and I can hang out - you know, like before."

* * *

The doorbell to the Maheswaran residence rang. "Coming, " said Mr. Maheswaran, and picking up his cane, walked to the door and opened it. Before him was a Crystal Gem.

"Oh, hello!" He smiled. "May I help you?"

"Hi, Dad, it's me, Connie."

"Connie? Why are you wearing that costume? It isn't Halloween."

Topaz chuckled a bit. "No, this isn't a costume. This is me now; I'm a Crystal Gem. May I come in?"

"Of course!" He replied, somewhat awkwardly, "come in! Come in, Connie...Priyanka! It's Connie!" His wife got up from the living room and walked in. "Connie!" She exclaimed, then stopped abruptly. "Connie - is that you?"

"It's me Mom."

"I don't understand," she replied. "What's going on?"

"Same question I had," said Mr. Maheswaran.

"Let's all sit down," said Topaz, and they went into the living room. She told them everything that had happened, beginning with hers and Steven's plans for infusing a Gem into her body so that they could be together forever, up to the point where it was discovered that she could no longer change back to her human form.

"And, this...this is permanent?" Her mother asked.

"Looks that way," she sighed.

"Oh, my Connie!" She began to cry. "My dear, sweet, Connie!" Her face fell into her husband's shoulder.

"How could they DO this to you!" Her father yelled angrily. "We trusted the Gems - you trusted them!"

"It wasn't the Crystal Gems, Dad," she explained, "it was Blue Diamond and her cohorts; they are evil. The Crystal Gems have been defending Earth from the Great Diamond Authority for thousands of years."

"And Steven; what does he think of this?" Her father continued.

"He's heartbroken," Topaz replied. "When I was abducted, Steven led the effort to rescue me! The Crystal Gems and the new Homeworld Gems removed all of the Blue Diamond's implanted influences and brought back all of my memories - of you, of Steven, of Earth."

"You're right, I'm sorry," he said. "But can there be any hope?"

"There's always hope." Topaz took their hands in hers. "In the meantime, I will always love you with all my heart, and I will always honor my heritage! I will defend our planet with every ounce of my strength!"

Her parents reached out and hugged her. "And we will always love you, Connie!" Said her mother. "Or, do you have a new Crystal Gem name?"

She smiled. "It's Topaz."

"Ah! Of course, the Gem on your forehead," said her father. "Well, let me be the first to say, I am honored to have a Tamil Crystal Gem defending the Earth."

Her mother kissed her. "Do well, Topaz. We are proud of you."

* * *

"Alright, before we can begin work in the Fusion Realm, Topaz, we need to see you fuse," said Garnet. They were in the Crystal Temple with Steven, Pearl and Amethyst.

"Stevonnie?" Asked Steven.

"Not Stevonnie," Garnet replied. "I'm afraid Stevonnie is not an option. However, you and Topaz can fuse. Let's see what that results in."

Husband and wife nodded, and held hands. A flash of light appeared with a rose and a blue gemstone circling around each other, followed by a white silhouette began forming. It grew. And grew. And grew until it was bigger than even Jasper! Finally the the Fusion appeared; it had Topaz's hair and visor but Steven's facial proportions. A single set of brown eyes were behind the visor, and the Topaz Gem was on their forehead, with the Rose Quartz on the navel. The skin was peach like Steven's, and the outfit resembled his, with jeans and tshirt instead of Topaz's dress. Like Topaz, the fusion had dark blue boots.

However, the most interesting thing about this fusion was the number of arms. Smoky Quartz had "three" arms (2 and a half actually, since two forearms shared one elbow). Peridot had always theorized that Smoky had three because although Amethyst was a full Gem, Steven was half Gem, half human (i.e., only ¾ Gem in the fusion).

And Stevonnie? "Well duh! They couldn't have one arm!" Peridot had protested years ago. "So they got two arms since between them there was only ¼ of a Gem."

Peridot continued with her theory. "Opal? Two Gems, four arms. Sugilite? Same. Alexandrite? Three Gems, six arms."

"Four Gems," corrected Garnet. She was referring to herself being a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire.

"OK, OK, skip Alexandrite," waved Peridot. "But but but, maybe...because you've been a fusion for so long, hmm?"

"Whatever," Garnet crossed her arms.

"What about Malachite?" Asked Pearl.

"Weird-O," said Peridot. "Arms? Legs? What?"

Anyway, that was an earlier argument the Crystal Gems had. So...what did this fusion have?

Four arms!

"Hmm. Blows Peridot's theory," said Garnet. "Can't wait 'til she sees this," chuckled Pearl.

"Huh." Said the new fusion, looking at their four hands. "So...what shall we...I...be called? Amethyst? You're always good at this."

"Hmm." It had her stumped for a minute or two. "Pink...Topaz?" They all gave her a look. "Hey!" She protested. "It's better than Rose Topaz!"

"We're OK with it," said the fusion.

"Well, then, Pink Topaz it is," said Garnet.

* * *

Pink Topaz and Garnet went to the seashore. Facing each other, they sat down for meditation, putting their three pairs of hands in the mudra for the Vishuddha Chakra. "Let us begin," said Garnet.

"Close your eyes."

"Breathe." And the surrounding location faded away until they were in total blackness.

"Here, in darkness, everything's okay. Listen to the waves, and let them fade away."

"Now, I want you to go deep, into the recesses of your Gem."

"Which Gem?"

"You are a Stable Fusion. Not only do you remain in strong synchronization, you have a romantic relationship, thus keeping a strong bond between each other. One Gem bonds with the other, in harmony. Share your memories. Share your feelings. Share your thoughts."

"Now, seek out remaining influences from Blue Diamond. If you find any, purge them. You are a Crystal Gem. Your Gem belongs to you, not to her."

And Pink Topaz plunged into the deep recesses of their bonded Gems - Rose Quartz and Topaz. Steven felt the agony of Topaz's capture and torture at the hands of Blue Diamond's Peridot. Topaz felt Steven's horrified anguish at losing her. Together, as a couple, they searched out and destroyed any remaining influences that had been implanted by Blue Diamond's Peridot.

When done, they returned to the Fusion Realm where Garnet waited. "We're done."

"Good," she replied. "Cleansing breath."

"Open your eyes."

* * *

 **Well, all of Blue Diamond's influences have been purged! However, it appears that the human Connie is gone, replaced permanently by Topaz!**

 **Can Topaz ever regain the ability to return to a human form?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Topaz/Connie settles in to living the life of a full-time Gem.**

* * *

Amethyst has shown Topaz how to shapeshift a digestive system. The Temple Door opened, and the blue Gem came out to meet with her husband.

"OK Steven, I think I've finished this shapeshifting thing," Topaz told him.

"So...how'd it go?"

She shivered a bit. "Ugh...I...really don't want to talk about it. Anyway, shall we begin?"

"Yep! How do you want to do this? You gonna eat a plate like Amethyst?"

"No!" She laughed. "I want to try to eat like I used to - back when I was human. Can I tell you something though?"

"Of course! What is it?"

"Well…" She tapped her index fingers together. "Amethyst wasn't too clear on how to shapeshift tastebuds."

"Oh, right. Gems don't have tastebuds. No need for them since they don't eat."

"Right. I asked Amethyst about it, and she just shrugged her shoulders and said 'Eh, whatever you wanna do with 'em'."

"But, she eats...well, food...most of the time."

"She told me taste doesn't matter. For example, I asked her what cake tastes like, and she said she doesn't know - it just is. To her, eating is the thing, I guess."

"Not much help there."

"Right. So when it came to shapeshifting my tongue for taste, I was kinda on my own. I borrowed some of my Mom's medical books. I hope I did it right."

"Well, tell you what; give me a few minutes and I'll throw together a test to see how close you got." And he went to the kitchen to put together a sample of different tastes.

While he was in the kitchen, Topaz sat on the sofa looking around. Gazing out the open window, she took in the gentle breeze and the seagulls cawing in the distance. A tinge of sadness fell upon her, remembering how she and Steven would cuddle together on mornings like this, lazily lying in bed. "Guess those days are over," she told herself. But then came a thought: Rose and Greg must have had closeness even though one was a Gem and the other a human! "Oh, how I wish Greg was still with us!" She wondered who she could talk to. Vidalia was in a nursing home now; maybe she could pay her a visit. She'll ask Onion. Pearl may not like talking about it, she thought. Amethyst? Perhaps not. Garnet? Maybe. And so the thoughts and feelings went.

Steven returned. "OK, you ready?" She nodded, and they sat down at the dining room table. He put a blindfold on her. "Hey! What's that for?" She laughed. "No peeking!" He responded, and returned with his test plate.

"First one." He handed her a slice of apple. She put it in her mouth and bit on it. "Hmm. I should know this. "Potato?"

"I'll write that down. Won't let you know until the test is done. Next item." And he handed her a slice of cooked egg yolk. She put it in her mouth. "Oh! I know! Banana!"

"Banana," he wrote down. "Now, for a liquid," and he gave her a glass of milk. She drank it. "Orange juice?"

"Is that your final answer?" "Y...yes?"

"Orange juice." Final piece." And he gave her a slice of mango. "Sashimi." She responded.

Test done, he took off the blindfold. "Well, here are the things I gave you. She looked at them, a bit frustrated. "Oh, no," she sighed.

"Don't give up. Maybe it's a learning process," he said.

"Perhaps you're right. I've got an idea: Let me try things while looking at them, so I can program them into my Gem. Maybe that would work."

"Worth a try. Let's do it!" And he got up to prepare the next "lesson".

They were interrupted by Peridot, who came waltzing into the beach house. "I've...got a proposal for you two."

"What's up, Peridot?" Asked Steven.

"Well…" She tapped her spread-out fingers together. "Remember...what happened...to Gamma Kindergarten? You know...my new kindergarten?"

"Yes…?" Steven and Topaz answered warily.

"I was just wondering, since you had a hand in it's...oh...let's say, demise...that you wouldn't mind...helping me find a new one?"

The two looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and nodded. "Sure," said Topaz, "any place in particular?"

"I still like that crustal plate on your planet where I first built the Gamma Kindergarten," she said. "Granted, putting it on that volcanic island may not have been my best choice, but I only did that because it was uninhabited. I've accepted the fact that I may have to deal with indigenous populations, particularly in that corner of the world. Now, as for where; I've settled on something much less tectonically active." She took out a map of Southeast Asia, laid it on the coffee table and put a finger on her proposed destination. "Here!"

Topaz came over and frowned. "What?! Sri Lanka?! You can't put a kindergarten there!"

"Why not? It's where you're from. Quite literally, my young Gem," she elbowed her and chuckled. "And isn't that where your human parents were born?"

"Yes, and I know more about it than any other Gem," she responded. "For one thing, it's rather densely inhabited. How are you going to erect a Gem Kindergarten in plain sight?"

"Oh, that's easy," the green Gem said with a wave of her hand. "I've done comprehensive research on the native humans there. "It's got plenty of caves. I'm sure they're not all used. "Here, for example," and she punched up a cave on her tablet. "Nice and roomy. Some humans there, but we can share, no?"

Topaz pinched her nose. "Peridot, that's Dambulla Cave. It's sacred to the Buddhists. There's a shrine there that's been a pilgrimage site for 2,200 years."

"Can't we share?"

"No. You can't build a kindergarten there."

"Oh. Well, OK then, not there. But we can find at least one place. See, Topaz, you're helping me already!" Peridot smiled.

The blue Gem thought. "If you want to look for a site in Sri Lanka, it's better to look in the north. Much more sparsely populated. Here," and she pointed to the area south of Jaffna and west of Trincomalee.

"Works for me! Let's go you two! I've got a Roaming Eye waiting!" And she ran outside.

As they left, Topaz winked to Steven. "She had this all prepared before she even walked in here, didn't she?" "Yep," he replied.

* * *

The Asian hemisphere rose over the horizon as the Roaming Eye soared through the thermosphere. "Going down," announced Peridot, and set a course for the island country.

"Peridot, let's try not to frighten any locals, OK?" asked Topaz.

"Relax!" She scoffed, "I've got that all figured out. I told you, I did a complete study of these humans, including their cultures and beliefs. You're blue, right?"

"What?"

"Your skin!"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Duh! These people worship deities with blue skin! One look at you, and they'll think you're a goddess!" She grinned.

Topaz did a facepalm. "Peridot," she groaned.

"What?" Asked the green Gem. "What'd I say?"

"Peridot," said Steven, "Topaz's religious beliefs are not something to be taken lightly. Her heritage is very important to her."

"All I'm saying is, if we encounter any locals, maybe the fact that she looks like one of their deities will work in our favor."

Topaz crossed her arms and sighed. "Whatever."

"Actually, Peridot, what probably works more in our favor is the fact that Topaz speaks both Sinhalese and Tamil."

Topaz smiled at her husband. She turned back to Peridot. "So where you want to land?"

They were hovering above Sri Lanka from an altitude of about 20 miles. Peridot pulled up an overhead display. "You tell me."

She studied the map. "OK, go north. Good. Now, you see that area to the east where it looks like fingers pointing down?"

"Yeah."

"Those are reservoirs. In Sri Lanka they're called tanks. See the biggest one? It's called Iranamadu Tank. There's a forest reserve to the west. We could try there."

Peridot looked at her monitors. "Hmm. No good, that area's too wet."

"Too wet?"

"Gets too much rainfall. Look here." And she showed Topaz another display with data that reported recent water levels. "See?" She said.

"Water levels have risen significantly due to increased rainfall," Topaz read from the display.

Steven sat up, amazed! "Connie - I mean, Topaz! You can read Gem language?"

She sat back, equally surprised. "Oh! I guess...I guess I can," she replied. "It was so natural, it didn't occur to me."

"Duh! It's in your Gem," said Peridot, rolling her eyes. "What'd you expect? Anyway, so this area's out. Pick somewhere else."

"So...rainfall's an important factor?" Asked Topaz.

"To me it is," she responded. "I can't build a kindergarten where there's excessive rain. Dry areas are better."

"Well," she sighed, "then I guess we're headed south. Go here," and she pointed to the Central Province. "Less rainfall."

"Less?"

"Peridot, you're not going to find any location in Sri Lanka that gets no rainfall at all. Now these places in the Central Province get less. Plus there are mountain ranges and caves you can consider - just stay away from the holy ones."

"Works for me! Let's go."

* * *

The Roaming Eye sailed over the Knuckles Range. "I like this area!" exclaimed Peridot, looking at her display. "Lots of caves. How's this one?"

Topaz examined the readout. "That one's acceptable. No shrines. Some villages not too far away."

"What are those weird stepped formations?" Asked Peridot.

"Paddy fields. A lot of tea farms in this area."

"This may be a good place to check out," Topaz told the group, and Peridot set the ship down in a nearby ridge. They began to reconnoiter the area, and after about an hour came upon a ridge with high cliffs and a fair-sized cave about a mile in, nestled near where the ridges met. "This looks perfect!" Said Peridot, then turned to Topaz. "And the cave…?"

"No temples nearby," she replied.

"Yes!" cheered the green Gem, and made some notes in her tablet. "OK, I'd like you two to help me with the initial equipment setup, if you don't mind. First, we need to put up a Warp Pad."

"I'd enjoy doing that," said Steven. "I as well, said Topaz." And they headed back to the ship. That's when they heard the screaming.

"That sounds like children!" Said Steven. "It's coming from the right ridge - let's go!" Said Topaz, and they ran to the source of the sound. Coming over the crest of a hill, they saw what was happening: an attack from a corrupted Gem! It had crashed through the forest and was thrashing around. One of the tree trunks had fallen on a girl. Her leg was stuck under the tree, and the corrupted Gem was jumping up and down. A boy was yelling, trying to get the Gem's attention, so as to draw it away from the girl. "Hey! Hey!" He kept yelling, but the monster paid him no heed. Topaz summoned her Paricha shield and Val sword, and Steven his shield, and the two ran to intercede. Peridot ran to the boy.

"Steven! Get the log off the girl's leg; I'll deal with the corrupted Gem!" said Topaz. He nodded, retracted his shield, and used his Gem strength to lift up the log. "Are you OK?" He asked, but she didn't understand him. She tried to get up, but her leg was broken. She screamed in pain. "Don't worry, I can heal you," he said, but shaking her head, she pushed away from him in fear. She then looked to Topaz.

" _Shri Lakshmi,"_ she whispered.

Topaz ran to the corrupted Gem. "Get here!" She yelled, and sensing her presence, it charged at her. "I don't want to hurt you," she called, and used her shield to protect herself from the swipes of its sharp claws. Her intention was to drive it away from the children, and then poof it so it could be bubbled into the ship's container. "Unnnh! She grunted, pushing the beast back further.

"Are you alright? We heard your screaming," said Peridot, but the boy as well did not understand.

" _Matangi?"_ he said, curiously. "What? Look, just stay here," she said gesturing with her hands. They both turned to watch Topaz fighting the corrupted Gem. The blue Gem kept hitting it with her shield, pushing it away from the fallen tree trunks.

"C-o-r-r-u-p-t-e-d G-e-m." Said Peridot slowly, but he wasn't listening. The ensuing battle had his attention. "Well, OK, at least he isn't moving," she thought.

Finally, Topaz felt that the corrupted Gem was far enough away from the children. "Forgive me," she said, and thrust her sword into him, poofing it. It disappeared in a flash, and picking up the Gem, she bubbled it into the ship. She first came to the girl, speaking Sinhalese.

" _Are you alright?"_

The girl closed her eyes, put her hands in the gesture of Añjali Mudrā and from her seated position, bowed and prayed. _"O Shri Lakshmi, goddess, freedom from bodily ailments, riches, destruction of enemies, and happiness are not difficult to attain for persons who view your glances. Thank you for destroying the monster."_

Topaz kneeled down next to her and put her hand on her shoulder. _"Thank you for the prayer, little one, but I am not Shri Lakshmi, nor a goddess. I am a Crystal Gem, a protector of your planet. Tell me, what is your name?"_

She opened her eyes and looked at Topaz curiously. _"Prisha."_

" _Prisha. A beautiful name. Are you injured? Because my husband here is also a Crystal Gem. He can heal you."_

" _My leg, it hurts terribly,"_ she cried, holding it.

" _Let him heal you. His name is Sṭīvan. My name is Paḍiyana."_

" _Paḍiyana? The gem? Ah, on your forehead."_

Topaz chuckled. _"Yes, the gem."_ And motioned to Steven, who came to put his healing saliva on her leg. She looked at this gesture strangely, but Topaz assured her. When he was done, she was amazed! _"My leg! It no longer hurts! Oh thank you!"_ She got up and hugged them both. _"Are you sure you're not a goddess?"_

" _No, we come from another planet."_ By this time, Peridot was coming over with her brother. "Hey! You guys done? Because I'm not getting anywhere with him."

He ran to his sister. _"Prisha! Are you alright?"_

" _Yes, Maaran! These visitors from another planet healed me!"_ He looked warily at the Gems. _"They are not gods and goddesses?"_

" _No, but they are kind."_

He turned to Topaz and greeted her. She returned the greeting. _"Your sister is healed, thanks to my husband. He is a Gem like me"_

" _Gem?"_

" _Yes, as I told your sister, we are the Crystal Gems, protector of your planet. That monster was what we call a corrupted Gem. It used to be like one of us but was horribly changed by an enemy. I did not kill it. I reduced it to its Gem form and sent it to a safe place, in hopes that we may be able to heal it."_

Peridot whispered to Steven "Any idea what they're talking about?"

"No clue, but I think she's explaining who we are."

" _Paḍiyana, that was not the only monster around here,"_ said Prisha.

" _There are more?"_ Topaz asked.

" _Yes,"_ said Maaran. _"A great flying beast that sometimes terrorizes our village! It swooped down and scooped up one of my father's cattle."_ Topaz remembered Steven telling him about the Big Bird corrupted Gem. _"Thank you, Maaran. We will be on the lookout for it. Are there any others?"_

" _None that we know, but there are legends of monsters out in the remote forests."_

"It sounds like this was a good place for us to be," thought Topaz to herself, "if there are many corrupted Gems here."

" _Let me introduce you to my husband, Sṭīvan, and the green Gem known as Peridot."_ She used "Peridot" because although there was a Sinhalese word for Topaz and Steven, there was not one for Peridot. After the introductions, the children went on their way.

"Well, there's good news and bad news about this place," said Topaz.

"Let me guess. The bad news is, the nearby village now knows about us," said Peridot.

"Well, there is that, I suppose," replied Topaz, "but no. The bad news is, that wasn't the only corrupted Gem around here. Apparently, there's also a Big Bird corrupted Gem here as well. And there very well may be others."

"That's the bad news? What's the good news?" Said Peridot.

"That we have an opportunity to capture these corrupted Gems, of course!"

Peridot sighed. "Before we build my kindergarten?"

"But we'll build the Warp Pad first," said Steven. And he and Topaz put arms around each other's shoulders and gave Peridot toothy grins.

"Very well," Peridot relented. "Let's head home to get the supplies."

On the return trip to the Crystal Temple, Topaz told Steven and Peridot about her conversations with the children. "I was curious why the girl thought I was Shri Lakshmi. She's not normally depicted as a fighter. Shri Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity. She's normally depicted as sitting on a lotus."

"Maybe it was because she saw the lotus on your shield?" Thought Steven.

"Could be. I'd have thought instead she would have confused me with Durga. She's the warrior manifestation of Goddess Adishakti - of course, I don't have eight or ten arms!" She chuckled.

"I'm glad we were able to rescue those kids," said Steven. "What do you think they're going to tell the villagers?"

"Maybe they'll stick with the deity thing," said Peridot. "Who knows? At any rate, I hope they don't come looking for us."

* * *

Back home, Topaz was ready for her tasting lesson.

"OK," said Steven, "now, here's an apple slice. Give it a good whiff, study it with your eyes, and then bite down." And she did just that.

"Well?"

"Hmm," she chewed. "I think...I'm tasting...fruity."

"Good!"

"But not quite apple, not yet," she sighed.

"Well, it's a beginning. Now, some water to cleanse the palate." And he handed her a glass.

"You've thought this through, haven't you?" She smiled.

"Yep! Ready? OK, Let's try boiled egg. Here." And doing the same routine, she popped it in her mouth. She was quiet.

"Anything?"

"Not really. Makes me wonder what the heck Amethyst is doing when she makes her 'egg salad' in the garbage disposal."

"Let's try the milk." And Topaz swished it around in her mouth and drank it. "I can sort of taste milk, but you know what? Maybe it's my mind fooling me, giving me memories of milk taste. Weird."

"OK, here's a new one: a piece of tuna fish." And she took it and chewed on it before swallowing.

"Ooh! I can taste that! Salty, fishy, tuna-y. Steven! I can taste tuna!"

"You always liked tuna, maybe that's why."

"I like these little lessons, Steven," she smiled. "Human or Gem, I love being with you."

"And I with you, my dear Connie," he said lovingly.

* * *

 **Still some loose ends to tie up! Blue Diamond has lost her hard-fought Gem in Topaz. What's more, with Topaz, the Crystal Gems now have some Intel on Blue Diamond's ship, eh? The next skirmish ought to be interesting!**

 **Perhaps, if that Blue Diamond Peridot can be captured, they can find out how to restore Topaz's ability to change back to human? It's a possibility! Thanks for reading, and thanks for all your reviews.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Many thanks to Savannah9137 for the main idea for this chapter!**

* * *

Steven had a dream one night. He found himself in a seemingly endless maze. It went up stairs and down stairs, with right turns and left turns, down hallways and Y-intersections. It seemed to go on forever. "There's no end to this place!" He thought. "Where am I?"

Then in the distance, he heard crying. He stopped, trying to discern its direction. Running toward the source, making turn after turn, up and down stairs, he came upon a long hallway; in the distance, he could make out a single jail cell with heavy bars. Finally reaching it, he looked inside. There, huddled against a corner was a woman.

"Hello? I heard you crying! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

She turned around. It was Connie! In human form!

"Connie!" He cried. "It's you! What are you doing in here?"

"Oh Steven," she said, wiping away her tears, "I was locked up by that evil Peridot!"

"Let me get you out," he replied, and pulled on the bars, but they were too heavy for him. "Unnnh! Aaaarrrh! I can't!"

"You can't open it," she told him. "Only Topaz can open the door."

"What? Topaz…? But you're Topaz!"

"No! I'm not!" She began crying again.

"Connie!" He called to her. "Connie!"

"Connie! Connie! Connie!" He woke up. Lion was near the bed, looking at him, snuffling.

"Lion! I dreamt about Connie! The human Connie! She's locked up somewhere. But I don't know how to free her - she said only Topaz can free her, but what does that mean?" Lion just looked at him, then walked over to the Temple Gate. He sat and turned to Steven.

"You think I should bother her?" Lion pushed him with his muzzle. "OK, OK. I don't like disturbing a Gem, but I think this is important." And he touched the Blue Gem on the door. It glowed, and a shimmering blue lotus symbol appeared in the middle of the door, unlocking it. He entered and looked around. She was hovering above a rock facing the ocean, in meditation: legs crossed, hands up in the chin mudra, wrists resting on her knees, eyes closed.

He hesitated to bother her, but then she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Hello my love," she smiled. "Sorry, I didn't want to bother you," he said quietly. "It's no bother when you're with me Steven," she replied. "Besides, I sensed your presence when you opened the door. Anyway, I'm glad you're here," and she lowered herself and got up. "I just had the most remarkable vision while I was meditating. I was in some kind of an endless maze with no exit - at least none that I could find. But, I had a feeling that you were there."

"I was there! I was having one of my dreams. Connie, I found you - the human you."

"You found...what do you mean?"

"In that same maze, I'm sure of it! Your human self. It was locked in a prison with heavy bars. I tried with all my strength to free her, but couldn't. The human Connie told me something before I woke up."

"What did she...I mean, what did I...tell you?"

"That only Topaz could free her."

"Me? But how?"

"I don't know! I tried asking, but then I woke up. That's when I came looking for you."

Topaz reached over and put her hands on Steven's shoulders. "You've got to go back to sleep and ask her!"

* * *

Asleep again, Steven was back in the maze. Hearing the crying, he found the human Connie again. "Connie! Tell me how Topaz can free you!"

"You have to get her to remember who she truly is."

"Remember who she truly is? But hasn't she done that already?"

"No, she hasn't. Steven! You have to get her into an emotional state. Remember how you helped Amethyst? When you and she first fused? And the inner peace you felt after you worked through your feelings about your Mom's killing of Pink Diamond? Only when you get her to that state can she come to the realization of who she truly is, not before."

"Then we two will be one again."

"One again. One again. One again…" Steven woke up and sat at the edge of his bed. "An emotional state. Like me after I worked through my feelings about my Mom killing Pink Diamond, or Amethyst and me when we first became Smoky Quartz." Looking over, he saw that, like before, Lion was at his bedside, looking at him. "How do I do it, Lion? How do I get her to that emotional state?"

Lion got up and walked away from the bedroom. He came back holding something in his mouth. "What is it?" Steven asked, and he took it out of his mouth; it was a menu from PeeDee's.

"PeeDee's? The restaurant?" Steven was confused, wondering how this could help. He held it in his hand, staring at it, until a thought came. "Wait! The first thing we did as a couple after Connie came out of the kindergarten was go to PeeDee's! And that was also the last thing we did before she was abducted. But it has to be more than just that - doesn't it? I mean, the human Connie in jail said it has to be to the emotional degree that Amethyst and I experienced, or that I had to go through." Lion stared at him.

Steven thought some more. "I think I know what I can do."

Summertime was the height of tourist season in Beach City, and the area was full of vacationers. Many were from nearby Empire City, Jersey and Keystone, but there were others from far flung places such as Europe and Asia. Beach umbrellas dotted the sandy shore, and teens on boogie boards rode the waves. Topaz had perfected her tastebuds, and so to celebrate, Steven invited her to dinner at PeeDee's. But before arriving, he decided to take her for a walk on the beach.

"This is nice, Steven," said Topaz, as they held hands strolling on the sandy beach. "Reminds me of the times we used to walk together."

"I'm glad," he smiled.

Their presence, however, attracted quite a bit of attention. It was primarily focused on Topaz. Whereas the locals knew who she was, the out-of-towners were less familiar, and those from other countries even less so. Soon, crowds gathered around the two. "Who is that?" "Is she wearing some kind of costume?" "What is she advertising, some new movie?" "I didn't see any signs for 'Cirque du Soleil' in town! Excuse me, Miss! Where is the show?" Others snapped photos or took endless shots with their phones. It was all making Topaz feel very uncomfortable.

"Steven, let's go," Topaz said, annoyed, and they left the beach for PeeDee's. Entering the restaurant, they were greeted by their friend. "Welcome, Steven! And...Connie!" He hesitated. "Let me show you to your table."

All eyes in the establishment turned, looking at Topaz. Gems rarely ate - except for Amethyst, and no Gem had ever set foot in PeeDee's. She was feeling quite ill at ease. PeeDee took their drink orders.

"I'm sorry for all this undue attention," said Steven.

"It's not your fault, Steven," she replied. "I guess I should have expected it. It's not like the times we came here before."

"We did have some enjoyable times here, didn't we?" He asked.

"We did - but no longer, eh?" She said, a tear in her eye.

He held her hands. "Connie?" She looked at him curiously, having been called by that name instead of "Topaz".

"Yes?"

"Have you had any other visions about the maze? Because I had another dream."

"I did, but it was the same as before. I'm alone, and I can hear your voice in the distance - but I can't make out what you're saying."

"I spoke to the Connie in the jail cell. She said the only way you can free her is for you to remember who you truly are. But here's the important part: your remembrance has to be an emotional one, not just mental."

"Emotional? But Steven, ever since I discovered I couldn't change back, it's been nothing but an emotional roller coaster for me. That's why I've been meditating, to try and calm my emotions."

"But you see? That precisely what you shouldn't be doing," Steven replied. "The human Connie in my dream said it was like the time when Amethyst and I first became Smoky Quartz. We'd both been struggling with the fact that the two of us were the 'worst' Gems. Amethyst couldn't beat Jasper, and I was just a kid with a Gem and not much to show for it. We both cried, joined hands, hugged, and boom! Smoky Quartz was formed. It was our extreme emotional bond that made it happen. It was the love we had, as Gem sister and Gem brother that made it happen. Or when I finally was able to come to terms with my Mom shattering Pink Diamond! Or the time when Stevonnie stepped off the Ancient Sky Arena and plummeted to Earth because I couldn't deal with all the things that I'd done! Remember how Stevonnie felt when we landed on the grass?"

"That's the emotional level you have to reach!"

PeeDee had brought their drinks but was standing back while the discussion was going on, in deference to the topic at hand. "Hey, if you guys want to wait, it's OK," he said finally.

"I...I think we're OK, PeeDee, thanks," said Topaz. "I'm kinda anxious to order something, to tell you the truth," she smiled a bit.

Steven gave her a "you sure?" look, and she nodded. "Let's order," she smiled. "I get what you're saying. I've been avoiding my deepest feelings. But lately, they've been somewhat negative - sadness, depression, anger. I'm ready to focus on some good ones."

"Let's start with this meal," said Steven. And Topaz looked to PeeDee. "What do you have that's aromatic and savory?"

"Hmm," he thought. "How about some Deviled Chicken Breasts? I marinate them in dijon mustard, chili flakes, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and apricot jam, then roast them up with red bliss potatoes and serve it with seasonal summer vegetables."

"That sounds wonderful! I'll have that," she smiled.

"And Steven, your usual?"

"Sounds good to me."

"You're in a rut, my dear," Topaz smiled.

* * *

"Oh, this is delicious!" Gushed Topaz, enjoying her dish.

"I'm so glad you like it," said Steven. "Just like past times?"

"Just like past times," she smiled. That same moment, one of the bolts on Connie's jail cell door clicked open. She smiled.

After dinner, they walked around Beach City. They still had gawkers, but Topaz didn't mind. Passing by the warehouse, they heard music. There was a show going on, with dancing. "Let's go in!" Said Topaz, and she and Steven joined the crowd. They were having a great time!

Several out-of-towners stared at the couple! "It's that robot girl from the beach!" One said. "No, no, she's advertising some movie...I think," said another. "Go ask her," said his girlfriend, and he tapped Topaz. "Excuse me?" He asked sheepishly, "are you...um, advertising something?" Topaz laughed, "Yeah, it's a new movie coming this fall! It's called 'I love Steven', about an alien girl who falls in love with an Earth boy. You'll love it!" She winked.

The two left the show laughing. "I can't believe you said that!" Said Steven. "I had fun," Topaz smiled. "Just like we used to, eh?" And just then, another bolt on Connie's jail cell door clicked open. "It's working, Steven," the human Connie said, "it's working."

They walked back to the beach house, and sat on their porch swing, looking up at the night sky. "Thanks for today, Steven," she told him, "this was wonderful. They held hands, which led to an embrace, and loving kisses. Another bolt clicked open.

* * *

"It's getting late," said Steven.

"I want to be with you. I want to lie on our bed, like we did," said Topaz. "I know we can't...well, I just want to put an arm around your back and rest my other hand on your chest," she said.

"I'd like that," he responded. And holding hands, they went to bed and fell asleep in each other's embrace.

This time in Steven's dream, Topaz appeared at his side. "Where's Connie?" She asked him.

"Follow me," and he led her through the maze, until they came to the long corridor. Connie was waiting for them, standing behind the bars. "I knew you could do it," she smiled.

"Connie!" Topaz cried. "I've been looking for you!"

"And I've been waiting for you, Topaz," she said, holding out her hand. Topaz took hers, and the last lock clicked. The gate opened. Leaving the cell, they stepped toward each other, and a dazzling white glow enveloped them both. Steven shielded his eyes. When it stopped, only Connie remained. "We are one again," she smiled.

Then, everything faded away...

* * *

"Steven?"

It was morning. Steven woke up. He rubbed his eyes. There, beside him, was Connie in human form!

"Connie!" He embraced her, kissed her. "Is it you? Are you real?"

She kissed him back. "Of course it's me, silly! You did it!"

"Can you...I mean, are you also Topaz?"

"Hmm, let's see." She got up, and with a flash, she changed into Topaz! "How do I look?" She gave a pose.

"Beautiful either way, my love."

* * *

 **Connie's back! And every evil thing that Blue Diamond did to her has been erased!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the delay in getting out this chapter - busy holiday times. Thanks for the feedback asking for an update!**

 **Thought I'd start with a little Ronaldo...**

* * *

"Greetings to everyone out there in the far-flung planetary atmospheres! This is your dedicated host Ronaldo Fryman speaking to you live from the deserts of the Silver State, as we begin another incredible yet fascinating look at the unusual, the paranormal, the extraterrestrial! No topic is out of bounds as we plunge the depths of areas such as near-death experience, climate change, cosmology, quantum physics, remote viewing, hauntings, contact with extraterrestrials, psychic reading, metaphysics, science and religion, conspiracy theories, Area 51, crop circles, cryptozoology, Bigfoot, the Hollow Earth hypothesis, and science fiction literature."

"Yes dear listeners, you have reached the safe space that is...Shore to Shore AM."

"Our first topic tonight: Are aliens marrying earthlings? Does humanity risk its loss of genetic uniqueness due to the infusion of extraterrestrial DNA? Has this been going on for millenia? Our first caller has a story to tell! From our 'East of the Rockies' line, we have Frank from Milwaukee. Go head, Frank."

"Yes, hi Ronaldo. My girlfriend and I were vacationing in Beach City, Delmarva."

"Beach City! My home town! Go ahead, Frank."

"Well, we'd been boogie boarding, and were ready to ride the waves one more time, when all of a sudden, we saw this alien walking on the beach! Only, that wasn't the only unusual thing. This alien - I'll call it a 'she' - had blue skin, and what looked like a blue-colored gem on the top of her forehead."

"Now, Frank, that's actually not so unusual in Beach City," said Ronaldo. "Those types of folks have been around for quite some time. I've known some of them personally."

"Really? Well, the other thing which we noticed was that she was hand-in-hand with a human."

"I see. So like me, you believe there's evidence that there are aliens out there cross-breeding with humans. Not only that, Frank, but they've become quite open about it."

"Yes, very much so!"

"And here's another caller who had a similar experience! From our overseas line, Nigel from Brisbane Australia. Welcome, Nigel."

"G'day, Ronaldo! Yeah, my girlfriend and me were at a rave in Beach City when we saw that same strange lookin' sheila. She was dancing with a regular bloke. I overheard some mug walk over and ask her if she there for some movie, and she said yeah, but I checked. No such thing."

"So it was just some ruse for them to be together?"

"Too right!"

"So, the plot thickens, my friends! Aliens are among us, that cannot be denied, as I have amply demonstrated in my videos! And they seem to becoming even more open about their relationships with humans than before! On the other hand, as I wrote in my book 'Aliens...or Not?', this blue girl may have been nothing more than a human in a specially fabricated bodysuit built by the Illuminati for the purposes of international espionage. Additional research is needed."

"But before we go to our next caller, I need to take a commercial break."

* * *

Steven and Connie traveled to the Gem Homeworld to confer with the leadership regarding her abduction, and what Topaz learned about Blue Diamond. By the time they arrived, all of the memories in her Gem had fully transferred to Connie.

"So, you have total recall?" Steven asked her.

"Yes, all of it, including the sessions from Blue Diamond's Peridot," Connie replied - a painful expression on her face. "I remember...I remember the feelings I had, as that witch began wiping my memories away, of you, of my family, of the Crystal Gems, until nothing remained."

"Then, she started filling me with Blue Diamond programming. Which, thankfully, our Gems were able to remove. But," she chuckled, "that Peridot made one fatal error, and that is, she also filled me with plenty of data regarding Blue Diamond, her forces and whereabouts. That data remains intact."

Appearing as Topaz, she and Steven met in the Gem Defense Council conference room with Jasper, Citrine, Bismuth, Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst and Rutile.

"Blue Diamond's base is located here," said Topaz, pointing to a location on a large overhead star chart. "Her forces are small, but loyal. After the war, she and her court pulled together a brigade-sized military force of 2,000-4,000 Gem soldiers." She pulled up an organization chart on another display that showed Blue Diamond at the top, followed by the next layer down consisting of her headquarters lieutenants: a Sapphire for Intelligence (formerly occupied by the Crystal Gem Sapphire); a Peridot for Technical Support (the one who had operated on Topaz); and a Quartz General for Military Engineering.

Immediately below that level were three Infantry Battalions, each led by a Quartz Corporal commanding four companies of Ruby soldiers.

"In addition to commanding three Infantry Battalions, Blue Diamond has one Air Squadron, an Artillery Battalion protecting her headquarters, and Brigade Support."

"It's her Air Squadron that's been doing the heavy lifting for her Infantry," said Jasper.

Topaz nodded. "You take down her single air forces, and she'll be vulnerable to an attack from Homeworld's superior capabilities."

"Her Artillery Battalion notwithstanding of course," added Rutile.

"We should act quickly," said Garnet. "By now Blue Diamond has likely determined that Topaz's mission has failed, and if she believes there is any chance we've learned of her location, then she will be on the move."

* * *

"We have not heard back from Topaz, my Diamond," said her Peridot.

"Her mission has failed?" Blue Diamond asked her Sapphire.

"She was captured, my Diamond," the Sapphire responded. "I foresee her return, but not as a loyal Gem. Her return will be as an enemy."

"Then not only has her mission failed, but her programming!" said Blue Diamond, looking angrily at her Peridot. The Peridot began backing away in fear.

"My Diamond, I assure you, I used every technical means to re-program this Gem!" Blue Diamond looked to her Pearl, who ran to summon a team of Rubys. "This mission was important to me, Peridot," she said coldly. "Should Topaz return to battle us, with the knowledge you had infused in her of our capabilities and location, I will consider your work an act of treason!" The Rubys arrived and grabbed the Peridot.

"Imprison her," demanded Blue Diamond, "and if Sapphire's prediction holds true, shatter this traitor!" The Rubys pulled Peridot away screaming in terror.

* * *

A strike force consisting of a large Gem Battleship, two Gem Warships, and four Roaming Eyes headed out to Blue Diamond's location, each ship crewed to capacity with Gem soldiers and officers.

"Set speed for maximum," said Rutile, and the ships took off, disappearing from the sector, appearing almost instantaneously in the system near Blue Diamond's planet. As expected, they were soon met by her Air Squadron, accompanied by surface blasts coming from the ground-based Artillery Battalion.

"Shields up, evasive maneuvers. Take out those enemy warships," commanded Rutile. The Gem Warships and the Roaming Eyes spread out, surrounding the enemy ships with overwhelming force while avoiding their blasts. Aboard the Gem Battleship, Topaz guided Rutile to the spot on the planet where Blue Diamond's compound was hidden. Suddenly, a small craft was detected speeding away from the site.

"Capture that craft and disable their weapons," commanded Rutile. "Likely, that's Blue Diamond trying to escape." And the crew aimed a tractor beam on the small ship, pulling it toward the Homeworld Battleship.

"Open a communication link," she told the crew.

"Enemy ship! Prepare to be boarded." The ship remained uncharacteristically silent. Rutile frowned.

"She's not aboard that ship," said Garnet.

"Captain! The ship is armed with an explosive!" Said the Peridot Science Officer.

"Disengage! Eject the ship!" Commanded Rutile. The Gem Battleship shot the enemy ship away like a cannon fire, before it exploded, lighting up the nearby space.

"Were any Gems aboard that ship?" Asked Rutile.

"A crew of five, Captain," said the Peridot.

"She sacrificed her own people," said Pearl, shaking her head.

"Not surprised," said Topaz.

"Another ship departing at top speed," said the Peridot, "getting ready to warp."

"Engage pursuit." And the Battleship chased after the ship. It went into warp, but was no match for Rutile's ship, which pulled up behind.

"Enemy ship, disengage, or we will fire," said Rutile.

"They're not slowing, Captain," said the Peridot.

"Fire an antimatter torpedo at their primary engine." And it was a direct hit. Blue Diamond's ship fell out of warp and came to a rapid halt.

"Is the boarding party ready?" And Topaz, Steven, Garnet, Pearl and Garnet prepared to board Blue Diamond's ship. "We are, Captain," said Topaz.

"Transport ready, Topaz," said the Peridot, and they stepped onto the ship's Warp Pad, appearing in Blue Diamond's ship, they walked into her court. Approaching her Palanquin, Topaz was the first to step up. She announced, "Blue Diamond! Your ship will be towed to Homeworld. You and your crew with be detained."

"I see, Topaz," she replied. "I am disappointed by your betrayal." She took off her hood and gazed at her former servant. "Are you really going to follow through with this?"

Topaz looked into Blue Diamond's eyes, and replied. "Without a doubt." Summoning her Katar daggers, she aimed one at Blue Diamond and one at her Pearl, then instructed the rest of the landing party, "secure the ship."

* * *

Arriving at Homeworld, Rutile led the security team in escorting Blue Diamond and her party off their ship.

"Good job, Topaz," said Garnet, "I'm proud of your strength in resisting Blue Diamond's attempts to control you."

"Thanks. I was apprehensive at first, but once my eyes met hers, I knew in my Gem that the influence was no longer there."

"Topaz! There's someone you should see," called out Rutile. The Blue Gem hurried to where the prisoners were being taken off the ship, and came upon a familiar face. Her demeanor changed. "You!"

Blue Diamond's Peridot was already in restraints, having been imprisoned. She looked at her former "patient" and held her nose high. "So I see you've returned," she said haughtily.

"So I see you've failed," she replied coldly.

"We found her in prison," said Pearl, "with instructions from Blue Diamond to shatter her Gem if you returned as a traitor."

"So I saved you," Topaz chuckled, and turned to the Rubys. "Take her away."

Steven came up to his wife and put his arm around her waist. "Justice will be dealt." She turned and smiled. "I have no doubt. Isn't it ironic? Our capture actually saved her from a worse fate."

Rutile came up to the Crystal Gems. "Good job, all of you," she smiled. With Blue Diamond's capture, the Gem Federation is on its way to achieving peace."

"Time to head home?" Asked Amethyst.

"Sounds like a plan!" Said Steven.

* * *

"And we're back, friends! Exploring tonight's topic of aliens cross-breeding with humans. Our next caller, from East-of-the-Rockies, goes by simply as 'A', and she's calling from my home town of Beach City! Good evening, A! What's on your mind?"

"Hey, Ronaldo! Yeah, about this alien mating with humans thing. Have you ever come across, I dunno, concrete evidence?"

"Well, A, that's a very good question. I have documented cases, such as that woman I interviewed from Siberia who claims her son's father was a polymorphic sentient rock from Alpha Centauri."

[A snickers] "Father? Alpha Centauri? You sure you've got that right?"

"Well of course! She was a reliable source, A!"

"If you say so, dude!" [Some background chatter on A's line about a "mission"] "OK! OK! I'm coming! Geez! OK, Ronaldo, gotta go. [hangs up]"

Steven and Connie were relaxing on their beach house porch, sipping ice teas.

"You hear Ronaldo's show last night?" Connie asked him.

"Kinda. I was half asleep."

"I think Amethyst called in. Sounded like her."

"Yeah, she likes to call in and tease Ronaldo from time to time. He doesn't get it."


	11. Chapter 11

**Takes place shortly after Steven and Connie's return from the Gem Homeworld.**

* * *

The Universes were in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Sri Lankan, of course! Steven started by making the string hoppers, taking the hot-water dough and pressing it out in circlets from a string mould onto little wicker mats, then steaming them with with curry and sambol. Connie had prepared the sambol by shredding fresh coconuts to make the fine coconut base. To this she had added hot red chillies, a little lime and tamarind, salt and chopped onion. Sri Lankan dahl, naturally, made in an oven they'd gotten from a relative. And egg curry!

They sat down at the dining room table, enjoying their breakfast over cups of hot jasmine tea. "Quite an adventure, eh?" Said Steven.

"I'll say! It's good that we've got Blue Diamond in custody. What's to become of her?"

"There'll be a trial, like there was with Yellow Diamond. I assume she'll be given a choice of joining the Gem Federation, or living a life in prison."

"And Yellow Diamond chose prison rather than accept life with the Gem Federation." Said Connie.

"Yeah, kinda sad, if you ask me. I mean sure, she's got a comfortable apartment-like cell, but if she tries to escape, the cell is technologically designed such that leaving it would cause an instant shattering of her Gem. She has her Pearl with her, but that's it."

Steven finished his eggs and smiled at his wife. "So, have you made a decision about your citizenship?"

Connie put down her cup. "Become a citizen of the Gem Federation? It's a hard choice. I mean, I am human after all."

"Well...not any more, my love. Peridot has now officially classified you as half human, half Gem. I'm a citizen of the Federation; you should be, too."

"So have dual citizenship - or in my case, triple!" She laughed.

"That's right! You already have dual citizenship: American and Sri Lankan. You'd have to take an oath."

"An oath of loyalty to the Gem Federation." Connie sat back, again sipping her tea, thinking. She was silent for a few minutes, looking out the window. "Steven, you and I will live forever. What would happen if, down the road, war was declared between the earth and the Gem Homeworld? Which side would we take?"

"That's a tough question. I was born here, my dad was human, you were born fully human, so we both have our ties to this planet. But it is hypothetical; it may never take place. I say let's cross that bridge if and when it happens."

They were nearly finished with their breakfast when Garnet arrived, stepping off the Warp Pad. "Gems! I need your assistance!"

They put down their teacups. "What's up Garnet?" Said Steven.

"A freight train crash in Siberia. The Crystal Gems can lend a hand. Bismuth is there with Pearl and Amethyst."

"Steven, you'll need your winter gear. Connie, you should go as Topaz." They got ready and stepped on to the Pad.

* * *

They arrived on a special Warp Pad inside a Roaming Eye ship.

"Welcome to Siberia," said Garnet. Opening up the ship's door, Steven shivered. "Whoa! What's the temperature here?"

"It's a warm day today in Chita," replied Garnet. "The high is expected to hit 8 degrees Fahrenheit."

"Glad we can help," said Topaz, stepping outside. "Are the Crystal Gems expanding our base of operations?"

"Yes. Now that Blue Diamond has been defeated, the Gem High Council wants us to begin having a greater presence on earth. No longer working in the shadows, as it were."

"Has anyone negotiated with the local authorities?" Asked Steven.

"I have," replied Garnet.

"You speak Russian?"

"Sapphire was a diplomat Gem, Steven," she smiled. "Among my talents are language skills."

They approached the crash site. Garnet went up to the leader of the local rescue crew to introduce the new Gems.

" _Mr. Andreyev, here are two additional Crystal Gems to assist. This is Steven, and Topaz."_

" _Topaz I can see is a Gem, Granat! But this Steven, he is human, no?"_

" _Half human, half Gem. As is Topaz, but she can assume full Gem form."_

" _Your compatriots are down by the river. There is a chemical leak. But we also have a lumber shipment which is threatening to spill down into an apartment complex."_

" _I'll go with these two to assist with the lumber."_

" _You said they are half human, Granat; are they strong enough?"_

" _You'd be surprised,"_ she smiled.

"Bismuth, Pearl and Amethyst are working a chemical spill," Garnet explained to the two. "There's a lumber derailment that's threatening to roll down and strike buildings in a residential area. We three are needed there."

"Let's go!" Said Topaz.

* * *

"Pearl! How's that trench comin'?"

"I'm done, Bismuth! The chemical extraction device I fashioned is removing the chemicals out of the river water and diverting it into this trench. How are the repairs going on the tank cars?"

"Comin' along, comin' along," she replied. Bismuth had shape-shifted her right hand into a riveter as she sealed up the ruptures in the overturned freights. "Amethyst's pulling the fixed ones back onto the tracks."

"Hook 'em up, dude!" Amethyst gestured to the train worker, as she pulled a repaired tank car back toward the engine.

" _That purple one is strong, eh, Alexei? Good size too! She make perfect wife for you!"_ He laughed at his friend.

" _She would marry me because I'm better looking than you!"_ He yelled back.

* * *

Meanwhile, Garnet, Steven and Topaz were at the spilled lumber site. The logs lay piled up, dangerously close to a steep incline that went down to an apartment complex. Should any timber begin to fall, it could cause a cascade effect, crashing into the buildings.

"Steven! You and Topaz begin moving the topmost logs back onto the righted flatcars. I will assist the workers rerailing the derailed cars."

"OK," said Steven to Topaz, "which should we pick up first?"

"Let's get this one. It's not touching any others," she replied, and they started with the ones closest to the flatcar, then moved nearer to the ones by the incline. They walked around and surveyed the site.

"This will be tricky," Topaz sighed. One wrong move, and that pile could go tumbling down the hill."

"Wish Peridot was with us. She could manufacture one of her crazy robot gizmos," chuckled Steven.

"Hey, wait! What if you picked me up and we hovered above the logs facing away from the apartments? I could use my whips and pull the pile away from the edge."

"Good idea!" And grabbing her, the two ascended above the pile. "OK, here goes!" Releasing her blue whips, she snapped them over the top and then used the spiked ends to snag the wood, latching on to trunks at the bottom of the opposite side of the pile.

"Now, pull us back!" Yelled Topaz, and Steven pulled her back toward the flatcar. The spiked ends held fast, and as the two landed, Topaz tugged at the whips, pulling the pile toward her. The logs rolled toward them. "Whoa, whoa," called Steven, as he and Topaz slowed the fall, until the pile rested at their feet. "Not bad!" He smiled.

"High five!" Yelled Topaz, and they congratulated each other.

They began loading the logs back onto the flatcar one at a time.

Garnet was done, and came up as the Universes were finishing up. "Good job Gems! Our work here is done. The local Mayor wants to thank us."

* * *

The Crystal Gems gathered by the local town hall to meet with the Mayor and local officials.

" _Granat, we are in your debt! Without the help of the Crystal Gems, this railroad accident could have been a disaster."_

" _The Crystal Gems are honored to have been of assistance, Your Honor,"_ responded Garnet. _"We are here to protect the earth, and to help where possible."_ She shook the Mayor's hand, and motioned to the other Gems. _"We shall take our leave, and are happy that lives were saved."_

* * *

Pearl piloted the Roaming Eye toward southeast Asia, to drop Bismuth off.

"How's the new forge coming?" Topaz asked her.

"You know me, Topaz," she chuckled, "always busy takin' care of bismuth!" The forge is lookin' good, lookin' good! Almost done settin' her up. I'd like to invite you all by for a tour once I'm done."

"We'd like that, Bismuth," Steven responded. Everyone nodded.

The ship landed by the forge and Bismuth got out. "Well, be seein' y'all sometime soon! You take care!" She waved. As the ship disappeared, she thought, "be nice to return to Homeworld to witness Topaz takin' her oath. Hope she goes for it."

Steven glanced at Topaz as the Roaming Eye sailed through the Mesosphere. She was quiet, thoughtful. He had a feeling what was going through her mind. Their eyes met and she smiled back.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked.

"I've made up my mind." She put her hand on his.

"Garnet?"

"Yes, Topaz?"

"I've decided to take my oath and become a citizen of the Gem Federation."

"Very good," she smiled.

"Oh, Topaz, that's wonderful!" exclaimed Pearl.

"Woot! Way to go, Paz!" yelled Amethyst.

Steven hugged his wife. "I'm so happy for you!"

* * *

Present on the Homeworld for the ceremony were the Crystal Gems. They assembled in the hall of the Gem High Council. The Gem Chancellor, Emerald, called out: "Topaz, step forward!"

Topaz squeezed Steven's hand and got up to stand before Emerald. "What is your desire?" She asked the blue Gem.

"I desire to take my oath of loyalty and become a citizen of the Gem Federation."

"Then kneel and take your oath," Emerald responded. Topaz kneeled and said:

 **I, Topaz, hereby declare, on oath,  
** **That I absolutely and entirely  
** **Pledge loyalty to the Gem Chancellor,  
** **and that I will support and defend the Homeworld  
** **on behalf of the Gem High Council  
** **Against all enemies, foreign and planetary.**

 **That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same  
** **And that I take this obligation freely,  
** **Without any Gem reservation  
** **or purpose of evasion,  
** **so help me Moon Goddess.**

She got up, and Emerald declared, "all assembled, please welcome our new Gem!" The hall erupted in applause! A tear came to Steven's eye. "Congratulations, Connie!" He said.

* * *

 **So not only has Connie/Topaz become a citizen of the Gem Homeworld, the Crystal Gems will now be coming "out of the shadows" as it were, to increase their presence on the earth.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Takes place immediately after the previous chapter.**

* * *

After the ceremony, Emerald approached the Universes. "Congratulations," she said to the blue Gem. "The High Council is very happy to have you as part of our world." Turning to Steven she continued, "and I for one am impressed with both of you, and your dedication to protecting the Earth. The Crystal Gems are fortunate to have such loyal teammates."

"Thank you, Chancellor," said Topaz. "We're honored to be able to keep all life forms out of harm's way."

Steven took Topaz's hand in his. "We have a foot, as they say, in both worlds," he smiled.

"Which brings me to a proposal for the both of you," said Emerald. "Walk with me."

The Gem High Council building was beautiful, with murals of the great Gem battles lining the walls. They turned a corner and proceeded down a hallway. Steven looked with pride at the walls commemorating the victories his mother won against the Great Diamond Authority.

At the end of the hallway was Emerald's office. She motioned for them to enter. "Please, have a seat."

"You chose your Gem well, Topaz!" Emerald smiled. "Did Garnet ever explain the significance of the blue Gems?"

"Why, no! It never came up in conversation," said Topaz. "Did you know about it, Steven?" He shook his head. "All I know is, Sapphire's Gem, and Lapis Lazuli's are blue, but I never associated it with a particular role or status," he replied.

"Blue Gems were created to be members of the aristocratic corps," explained Emerald. "In the old order, there were only four Sapphires, one for each member of the Great Diamond Authority's court. They served as prophets, advising the Diamonds of future events."

"What about Lapis?" Steven asked.

"The Lapis Lazuli Gems were created to be the long-term strategists. A Diamond would send a Lapis Lazuli in to assess a situation, and come up with a plan for victory. That was her mission on Earth: to assess the situation, determine the best way to defeat the Crystal Gems, and return with her analysis. Unfortunately, there was an enormous battle, in which she was inadvertently injured and poofed. There her Gem lay on the ground, until it was discovered by a Ruby. However, to Lapis' dismay, the Gems who discovered her believed she was a Crystal Gem and trapped her in a magical mirror in order to find out the secrets of the rebel group, but she was not able to answer."

"When she didn't return to Homeworld with her analysis and the battle turned fierce, a retreat was called, leaving her behind at the Galaxy Warp. The mirror was trampled on, damaging Lapis' gemstone. She was later discovered by Pearl at the same spot and kept in her possession until you saved her, Steven."

"What happened to your Lapis was terribly unfortunate; she suffered tremendously. After the war, she was very happy to return here and join the Homeworld Reconnaissance Office, where her unique abilities are put to good use."

"So, blue Gems are aristocrats?" Asked Topaz.

"Yes, they are few in number, and they were created to serve a special purpose."

A Gem entered the office. Hers was a unique, translucent silky white gem, smooth, resting just above and between her two eyes. It appeared to glow slightly. "You sent for me Chancellor?"

"Yes, Selenite, please come in. May I introduce Steven Quartz Universe and Topaz Universe."

"Ah yes, the hybrid Crystal Gems from Earth. Very pleased to meet you," She smiled and shook hands. Selenite had a quiet, peaceful demeanor, almost like Sapphire's, but more genial - warmer. She had a way of looking at you that seemed to pierce through to your inmost being, but not in a threatening way.

Selenite sat down next to the Universes, and Emerald began. "I asked Selenite to join us because there are some important issues and proposals I want to discuss, and she has a unique intuition in discerning the best course of events."

"Like Future Vision?" Asked Steven.

"Something similar to Garnet's Future Vision, yes, Steven," answered Selenite. "We Selenites are Gems of intuition and psychic awareness - similar to what humans refer to as the third eye chakra. We can help foresee the future, yes, but unlike Future Vision, we can also access a Gem's past and do past life work and healing. In fact, Garnet had been in communication with me regarding you, Topaz."

"Me?" She asked.

"Yes. I was intending to come to help heal your ability to transform to your human self, but as it turned out, Steven was able to help bring your whole self back. Bravo, Steven! You truly have your mother's healing capabilities."

"Thank you, Selenite," Steven smiled. "It was in my dreams that I 'found' Connie's human self trapped in a prison."

"Your Mind Transfer ability is unique," said Selenite, "seeing" how the healing occurred. "The human Connie was imprisoned by Blue Diamond's Peridot deep in Topaz's Gem. While you were asleep, you actually entered her gem and walked, as it were, through the corridors until you found her. There, you were able to communicate with Connie and learn how to help her."

"Then, when both of you fell asleep in each other's arms, you 'brought' Topaz into her Gem where she met and 'fused' back with her human self."

"And when I woke, I was whole again!" Said Topaz. "I got out of bed, and turned back into Connie! I was so happy!" She hugged Steven, who hugged her back.

"So, if I may ask, Chancellor, what is it that we can do for the Federation?" Said Steven. Topaz nodded.

"What I'm thinking of," said Emerald, "was a special mission for both of you. I would like you to consider becoming Homeworld's ambassadors to Earth."

"Ambassadors?" They looked at each other. An incredible offer! An official envoy, high ranking diplomats who would represent the Gem Homeworld to the governments of Earth! Under the planet's Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, an ambassador has the highest diplomatic rank.

"One of the cornerstones of foreign diplomatic missions is to work for peaceful coexistence," said Emerald, "and the Gem High Council wants to establish an Interplanetary Charter for that very purpose."

"It is an honor, Chancellor," said Steven finally, speaking for both of them. "That is, if you and the High Council believe we have the ability to take on such an important task."

"Steven, you have your mother's Gem," said Selenite. "I sense the deep love she had for Earth, and the enormous commitment to do whatever it took to protect all forms of life. This is in you also. And Topaz, your determination to defend your home - your family, your friends, your planet and all that is within it - shines clearly through your perfectly formed Gem!"

Smiling, she gazed at Steven. "You have always searched for peace and harmony among those you have met, even with those with whom you fought."

Turning her attention, Selenite addressed Steven's life partner. "And Topaz - Connie - your love and devotion to others, as well as your fierce determination to stand and defend the innocent and powerless, make you his powerful ally."

"Chancellor," said Selenite, "I sense a perfect symbiosis with Steven and Topaz. And being grounded on Earth makes them uniquely qualified for this mission."

The Gem sat back and paused reflectively. "I think," she continued, "an assistant...no, something more than that, a mentor, would be an appropriate addition to their ministry."

Chuckling softly, she added. "And Steven already knows of whom I'm thinking."

"Garnet?" He smiled.

"Precisely. Not only does she know the two of you well, she has thousands of years of wisdom and experience to offer."

* * *

"Thanks for agreeing to help us, Garnet,' said Steven.

"Wouldn't miss it for anything," the Fusion smiled. They were on a Homeworld ship bound for Earth. Their objective: a meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and establish a working group whose purpose was to draft an interplanetary charter. Steven, Topaz/Connie Maheswaran and Garnet would represent the Gem Homeworld, and hand-picked UN members would represent Earth. In addition, The Gem High Council had chosen Selenite to assist in the negotiations.

"I wonder," said Topaz. "When we arrive, should I appear as Topaz, or as Connie?"

"What do you think would be most appropriate?" asked Selenite. "Also, keep in mind that everyone in the greeting party has a dossier on each one of us, so they are quite familiar with who we are and our backgrounds. I imagine they know that you two are Gem/human hybrids."

"Well, I am from Earth, but I'm there to represent the Gem Homeworld. Perhaps, since Steven's exterior appearance is human, I should greet them at Topaz."

"Then that is what you should do," Selenite smiled.

The ship landed next to the UN Headquarters building, where it was greeted by the Secretary-General and a delegation. "Welcome to Earth," she said to the Gem group. "I am Kshenuka Seneviratne."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Madame Secretary-General," said Steven. "I am Steven Universe of the Gem Homeworld - a Gem/human hybrid, and also of the United States.

"Ah, yes! Mr. Universe. Your father was a very talented musician. I enjoy his music! You know, I have a few of his albums," she smiled.

"You do?" He grinned.

"I always liked 'Let Me Drive My Van Into Your Heart," she chuckled. "I was a young college student at the time, driving around in an old beat-up van. I enjoyed that song."

"My father would have been so happy to know he had you as a fan," smiled Steven.

He then turned to his right. "And this is my wife, Topaz, also known as Connie Maheswaran."

"Ah, yes, Connie, the Sri Lankan," the Secretary-General smiled, and shaking hands with Topaz, speaking in Sinhalese she said, _"so nice to meet you."_

" _The pleasure is all mine, Madame Secretary,"_ replied Topaz in kind.

" _I heard how you two rescued two Sri Lankan youngsters from a...what do you call it? A corrupted Gem?"_

" _Yes, these are Gems that were infected by a Corrupting Light spread many thousands of years ago by the enemy Gem Homeworld,"_ explained Topaz. _"One of our objectives is to find, contain, and cure them - all the while protecting the people of Earth."_

Switching to English, she said, "and please allow me to introduce two of our Gem associates: Garnet, who is a Crystal Gem living here on Earth, and Selenite from the Gem Homeworld."

Secretary-General Seneviratne greeted the Gems warmly. "And let me introduce you to my delegation." All were introduced, and they entered the UN building. Steven turned to his wife. "You excited, my love?"

"Very!" She replied. "Who knew, when I was a young girl reading that book on the beach, watching you trying to bicycle on the sand, that I'd become a human/alien hybrid, and wind up as an Ambassador for a world I'd never imagine existed!"

"Some journey, eh?" He smiled.

 **The End**

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I enjoyed writing this FanFic! Sorry that it appears Season 5 may be the final season for "Steven Universe"...sigh**


End file.
